Carotid body tumour-- A rare case report

A carotid body tumour is a rare presentation of an extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma which typically present as a slow growing, painless neck mass found along the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and careful preoperative evaluation is required to find out the functional and vascular status of these tumours. Carotid body paragangliomas were diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound, carotid artery angiography, cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. These tumours are generally benign but possess aggressive local growth potential. Therefore, definitive treatment requires surgical resection. Here we describe a case of a carotid body tumour in a 45-year-old female presenting with a neck mass, its evaluation, management and the final outcome and review the most recent literature on this unusual topic.