Twenty six cases with carotid body tumours (27 tumors) were operaterated on from November,1988 to October, 1997. Eleven of the 26 cases were misdiagnosed in other hospital. Twenty six cases experienced B-mode ultrasonic scanning and 18 carotid arteriography. Seventeen cases underwent general hypothermic anesthesia (30℃-32℃) and 9 general carotid-internal carotid shunt. Eight cases (9 tumors) experienced simple excision of tumor, 3 resection of the tumor with external carotid, 11 excision of the tumor with internal, external and general carotid and carotid-reconstructing. Two cases underwent anestomosis of general carotid with internal carotid and 2 ligation of the internal carotid. All patients showed good results but one complicated with hemiplegia. The authors consider that misdiagnosis can be avoided with careful physical examination, Bmode ultrasonic scanning and arteriography, and hypothermic general anesthesia and intraoperative general carotid internal carotid shunt were important measures for the protection of brain.
Objective To investigate the experience of selective embolization combined with intraoperative internal carotid artery shunt for surgical treatment of carotid body tumor （CBT）. Methods The data of 21 patients （22 sides） with CBT who underwent surgical resection from January 2002 to July 2012 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The all patients’ conditions were fully assessmented and all patients were performed the carotid arteriography and superselective embolization treatment for the blood supply of tumor by with microcatheter on 2-3 days before operation，and then intraoperative internal carotid artery shunt and resection of carotid body tumors were performed. Results Surgical procedures were successfully performeded in all 21 patients （22 sides）. Among them， 16 patients （17 sides） were taken carotid body tumor resected， 5 patients were taken carotid body tumor resected and internal carotid artery reconstruction （autogenous long saphenous vein were used in 3 patients， vascular prosthesis were used in 2 patients）. The postoperative complications were found in 5 patients after anesthesia recovery， which included crooked tongue in 3 cases and facial numbness in 2 cases， and they were cured in 3 months. There were no cerebral infarction， hemiplegia， and death cases. All 21 patients were followed-up for a period from 2 months to 9 years（average 57 months）， there was no tumor recurred. Conclusions Surgical resection is the first choice for treatment of carotid body tumor. The application of selective embolization and intraoperative internal carotid artery shunt for surgical treatment of carotid body tumor in complicated Shamblin Ⅲ stage is safe and effective.