Introduction:

Carotid body paragangliomas are rare hypervascularized neuroendocrine tumors. Although their clinical presentation is frequently asymptomatic, they may manifest as cervical tumors with or without neurological deficit over the years.

Objective:

To present the case of a patient with a pulsatile cervical tumor of 10 years’ evolution that required surgical treatment.

Case presentation:

A 42-year-old woman from Cusco, Peru, with no medical or personal history of importance. The patient came to the head and neck surgery service for presenting a pulsatile cervical tumor with slow progressive growth, as well as headache and dysphagia. After performing Doppler ultrasonography and angiotomography, a hypervascularized right cervical tumor was observed at the level of the common carotid artery bifurcation. Surgical treatment of the cervical tumor was proposed, whose anatomopathological result was carotid body paraganglioma. Postoperative evolution was favorable, with no evidence of relapses during follow-up.

Conclusion:

Carotid body paraganglioma is a rare tumor of frequently asymptomatic clinical presentation. A thorough clinical and imaging-based assessment allows an adequate diagnosis for optimal surgical planning.

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