Multi-institutional survey of carotid body tumors in Japan

Abstract

There has been no attempt to clarify the status of patients with carotid body tumor (CBT) in Japan. This multi-institutional survey analyzed patients with CBT throughout Japan by gathering information on these patients from institutions that performed head and neck surgeries. Information from a total of 150 patients from 25 institutions from the past 20 years was employed in the present survey. There were 87 females and 63 males, and their mean age was 48.0 years old. The most common chief complaint was a neck mass and the mean suffering period was 46.1 months. Eighteen patients had a family history of paragangliomas and fifteen patients had bilateral CBTs. Among the 94 patients who underwent surgery to remove a CBT, 23 patients had tumors classified as Shamblin type I, 59 had type II and 12 had type III. The most frequent feeding artery of these CBTs was the ascending pharyngeal artery. Preoperative embolization of these arteries was effective in reducing blood loss; however, the operation time in Shamblin type I and II tumors was not improved. Thus these results revealed the status of patients with CBT and their treatment throughout Japan.

Keywords: Japan; blood loss and operation time; carotid body tumor; family history; multi-institutional survey; paraganglioma; preoperative embolization of the feeding artery; surgery.

Figure 1.

Shamblin classification. Typical appearance of Shamblin type I, II and III tumors are shown and their association with carotid arteries has been indicated. Type I tumors are localized within the carotid arteries. Type II tumors partially adhere to or surround the carotid arteries. Type III tumors completely surround at least one of the carotid arteries. ICA, internal carotid artery; ECA, external carotid artery.

Figure 2.

Age and gender distribution of patients with carotid body tumors in Japan. The mean and median age of the patients were 48.0 and 49 years old, respectively.

Figure 3.

Distribution of blood loss and operation duration of surgery for carotid body tumors. Shamblin type I, II and III tumors are indicated by open circles, gray circles and closed circles, respectively. The x-axis indicates the operation time (min) and the y-axis indicates the amount of blood loss (ml).