A review of carotid body tumors is presented together with a personal series of 16 patients managed in 4 years. Angiography was diagnostic in all instances. Five patients showed evidence of local invasion, while no patient had distant spread. Early recognition and surgical management were effective in the treatment of all operable tumors. Local removal of group 1 tumors without shunting is safe, with no morbidity or mortality in this series. The use of an indwelling shunt in group 2 tumors is recommended because of the risk of vessel wall damage during dissection and because reduction in blood supply to these large tumors facilitates their removal. We also recommend the use of an indwelling shunt in group 3 tumors when an en bloc resection of the vessels and tumor is performed in order to maintain cerebral perfusion.
