Outcomes of surgical treatment for carotid body tumor without preoperative embolization: a single-center retrospective study

Objective To investigate the outcomes of surgical treatment for carotid body tumor(CBT) without preoperative embolization at our institution. Methods 101 patients undergoing surgical treatment for CBT without preoperative embolization from 2011 to 2016 were followed-up for 2 years. Results Complete resection of the CBT was achieved in all 101 cases(100%). Post-operative adverse events(AEs) mostly observed during hospitalization were as tongue bias(Ⅰ: 4, 36.4%; Ⅱ: 8, 19.5%; Ⅲ: 13, 26.5%), hoarseness(Ⅰ: 1, 9.1%; Ⅱ: 4, 9.8%; Ⅲ: 7, 14.3%), dysphagia (Ⅰ: 0; Ⅱ: 2, 4.9%; Ⅲ: 7, 14.3%) and local hematoma(Ⅰ: 0; Ⅱ: 0; Ⅲ: 1, 2.0%). No other serious AEs were observed. The total incidence of AEs was 5(45.5%) in type Ⅰ patients, 14(34.1%) in type Ⅱ, and 28(57.1%) in type Ⅲ. At the end of 2 years of follow-up, there was no AEs in type Ⅰ patients. The number of patients with adverse events in type Ⅲ was greater than that in type Ⅱ (P>0.05). Three most frequently injured cranial nerves were hypoglossal nerve(21.9%), vagus nerve(20.3%), and recurrent laryngeal nerve(18.8%). Conclusion Surgical management without preoperative embolization for CBT patients does not increase the risk of complications nor is it related to prognosis. Key words: Carotid body tumor; Embolization; Postoperative complications