Management of carotid body tumor in pediatric patients: A case report and review of the literature

Pediatric carotid body tumors: A case report and systematic review

Carotid body tumors (CBTs), or chemodectomas, are rare, especially in the pediatric population. They often present with minimal symptoms, making timely diagnosis challenging. This case report and systematic review highlights a distinctive presentation and summarize the current evidence on pediatric CBTs. We report a case of a 13-year-old girl presenting with neck pain and a left-sided neck mass. After extensive evaluation, a Shamblin type III tumor was identified and removed surgically. Postoperatively, the patient experienced transient hypertension and significant dysphagia, both of which resolved within a few weeks with no permanent sequelae. Histology confirmed a benign paraganglioma. A systematic literature review of PubMed identified 29 cases from 23 published studies spanning from 1968 to 2024. The average age at diagnosis was 12.6 ± 3.6 years. The most common symptom was a neck mass or swelling, reported in 75% of cases (n = 21). Tumor sizes ranged from 1.3 to 8.0 cm, with Shamblin III being the most frequent classification. Gross total resection (n = 25 [89.3%]) alone or in combination with preoperative embolization (n = 10 [35.7%]) were the most common methods of management. In 62.1% of cases, there were no permanent complication or sequelae. The proximity to vital neurovascular structures and high vascularity in pediatric patients necessitates careful perioperative interdisciplinary management. Owing to their rarity and nonspecific presentation, CBTs often remain undiagnosed for years. They respond well to treatment, but can be fatal if untreated, underscoring the importance of including CBTs in the differential diagnosis of pediatric neck masses.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Carotid and Aortic Body Tumors

Chemodectomas are tumors derived from parasympathetic nonchromaffin cells and are often found in the aortic and carotid bodies. They are generally benign but can cause mass-effect symptoms and have local or distant spread. Surgical excision has been the main curative treatment strategy. The National Cancer Database was reviewed to study all patients with carotid or aortic body tumors from 2004 to 2015. Demographic data, tumor characteristics, treatment strategies, and patient outcomes were examined, split by tumor location. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were generated for both locations. In total, 248 patients were examined, with 151 having a tumor in the carotid body and 97 having a tumor in the aortic body. Many variables were similar between both tumor locations. However, aortic body tumors were larger than those in the carotid body (477.80 ± 477.58 mm vs 320.64 ± 436.53 mm, p = 0.008). More regional lymph nodes were positive in aortic body tumors (65.52 ± 45.73 vs 35.46 ± 46.44, p <0.001). There were more distant metastases at the time of diagnosis in carotid body tumors (p = 0.003). Chemotherapy was used more for aortic body tumors (p = 0.001); surgery was used more for carotid body tumors (p <0.001). There are slight differences in tumor characteristics and response to treatment. Surgical resection is the cornerstone of management, and radiation can often be considered. In conclusion, chemodectomas are generally benign but can present with metastasis and compressive symptoms that make understanding their physiology and treatment important.

Embolization in Pediatric Patients: A Comprehensive Review of Indications, Procedures, and Clinical Outcomes

Embolization in pediatric patients encompasses a large spectrum of indications, ranging from the elective treatment of congenital diseases of the cardiovascular system to the urgent management of acute hemorrhagic conditions. In particular, the endovascular treatment of central and peripheral vascular malformations and hypervascular tumors represents a wide chapter for both congenital and acquired situations. Thanks to the progressive availability of low-profile endovascular devices and new embolic materials, the mini-invasive approach has gradually overtaken surgery. In this review, the main embolization procedures will be illustrated and discussed, with a focus on clinical indications and expected outcomes. The most recent mini-invasive techniques will be described, with hints on the cutting-edge devices and embolic materials.

Carotid Paraganglioma in Adolescence-Clinical Picture-Surgical Technique and Review of the Literature

Paraganglia are clusters of cells originating from the neural crest with histological and cytochemical characteristics of neuroendocrine cells. Paragangliomas of the head and neck represent less than 0.5% of all head and neck tumors and they usually occur between the ages of 40 and 50. Paragangliomas in childhood and in adolescence are extremely rare; only 23 case reports have been reported in the recent literature. In childhood, the estimation of malignant potential is 3–10%; therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of carotid body paragangliomas are mandatory. However, due to the rarity of these lesions in young patients, they are often not included in the differential diagnosis of solid masses in the neck area, a fact that may lead to misdiagnosis or delay in treatment. We present, herein, two extremely rare cases of patients in adolescence who were diagnosed with a carotid body paraganglioma and were treated surgically in our unit. One of the patients was diagnosed and treated at the age of 15 years while the other had a long-standing tumor in the neck that was followed up by a general surgery outpatient service as a branchial cleft cyst at the age of 15 years and was eventually treated surgically 8 years later. Carotid body tumor was not considered in the initial differential diagnosis because of its rarity at this age range.

Multimodal management of pediatric carotid body tumors: a systematic review and case illustrations

OBJECTIVE Carotid body tumors (CBTs), extraadrenal paragangliomas, are extremely rare neoplasms in children that often require multimodal surgical treatment, including preoperative anesthesia workup, embolization, and resection. With only a few cases reported in the pediatric literature, treatment paradigms and surgical morbidity are loosely defined, especially when carotid artery infiltration is noted. Here, the authors report two cases of pediatric CBT and provide the results of a systematic review of the literature. METHODS The study was divided into two sections. First, the authors conducted a retrospective review of our series of pediatric CBT patients and screened for patients with evidence of a CBT over the last 10 years (2007–2017) at a single tertiary referral pediatric hospital. Second, they conducted a systematic review, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, of all reported cases of pediatric CBTs to determine the characteristics (tumor size, vascularity, symptomatology), treatment paradigms, and complications. RESULTS In the systematic review (n = 21 patients [includes 19 cases found in the literature and 2 from the authors’ series]), the mean age at diagnosis was 11.8 years. The most common presenting symptoms were palpable neck mass (62%), cranial nerve palsies (33%), cough or dysphagia (14%), and neck pain (19%). Metastasis occurred only in 5% of patients, and 19% of cases were recurrent lesions. Only 10% of patients presented with elevated catecholamines and associated sympathetic involvement. Preoperative embolization was utilized in 24% of patients (external carotid artery in 4 and external carotid artery and vertebral artery in 1). Cranial nerve palsies (cranial nerve VII [n = 1], IX [n = 1], X [n = 4], XI [n = 1], and XII [n = 3]) were the most common cause of surgical morbidity (33% of cases). The patients in the authors’ illustrative cases underwent preoperative embolization and balloon test occlusion followed by resection, and both patients suffered from transient Horner’s syndrome after embolization. CONCLUSIONS Surgical management of CBTs requires an extensive preoperative workup, anesthesia, and multimodal surgical management. Due to a potentially high rate of surgical morbidity and vascularity, balloon test occlusion with embolization may be necessary in select patients prior to resection. Careful thorough preoperative counseling is vital to preparing families for the intensive management of these children. ABBREVIATIONS BTO = balloon test occlusion; CBT = carotid body tumor; CN = cranial nerve; ECA = external carotid artery; ICA = internal carotid artery; MIBG = iodine-123-meta-iodobenzylguanidine; PRISMA = Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

A pediatric carotid body tumor

Carotid body tumors are rare childhood extra-adrenal paragangliomas. We present an 8-year old female with a neck mass mistaken as reactive lymphadenopathy. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography, as well as preoperative embolization and balloon test occlusion, were utilized for planning and management. Surgical excision of the tumor was successful and pathological examination revealed a benign paraganglioma. Surgical treatment is curative for these benign lesions, however rare cases have presented years later with metastatic disease. Therefore, a child, like our patient, will require lifelong surveillance for the development of potential metastasis.