Operative management of symptomatic, metachronous carotid body tumors involving the skull base and its neurological sequelae

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvscit.2021.04.018
• Publication Date: 2021-05-20T02:06:23Z
• Authors: Roberto G. Aru; Rony K. Aouad; Justin F. Fraser; Amanda M. Romesberg; Kevin W. Hatton; Sam C. Tyagi
• Keywords: RD1-811; Multidisciplinary care; 3. Good health; Metachronous carotid body tumor; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; RC666-701; Case report; Baroreceptor failure syndrome; Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system; Cranial nerves deficit; Surgery; Carotid body tumor

A 44-year-old morbidly obese woman with a history of right carotid body tumor (CBT) resection presented with a symptomatic, nonfunctional, left Shamblin-III CBT. Abutment of the skull base precluded distal internal carotid artery control for arterial reconstruction, favoring parent vessel sacrifice after an asymptomatic provocative test. She underwent CBT resection with anticipated sacrifice of cranial nerves X and XII and the common carotid artery and its branches, developing baroreceptor failure syndrome and sequelae of cranial nerve sacrifice. When facing a symptomatic, metachronous CBT abutting the skull base, upfront operative intervention with adjuvant radiation for residual tumor optimizes curative resection.