Malignant Carotid Body Tumour with Metastases in the Lungs

Abstract

In the literature 8 cases of malignant tumours originating from the carotid body with distant metastases have been reported. The author has described one case of a 75 year old woman who died from an acute respiratory infection. The post-mortem also revealed a tumour in the left carotid bifurcation and several metastases in the lungs. The histological picture was characteristic of a carotid body tumour. The tumour cells, however, did not show any signs by which a malignant tumour is usually recognized.