Paraganglioma intercarotídeo a propósito de un tumor cervical inusual

The intercarotid paraganglioma is the most common and important group of extraadrenal paragangliomas. This lesion, which originates from the neural crest, is an unusual vascular cervical tumor. We present the case of a 14 year-old male adolescent with a progressive left cervical growth starting to develop in year 2000, with two incisional biopsies and imaging studies (CT and MRI of the neck) made during 2002 and 2005. The patient was examined in August 2005 at the Head and Neck Department of our Institution. On the basis of previous studies, and on the suspicion of paraganglioma,an angiography was requested and an exploratory cervicotomy was performed. The surgical finding was a tumor in the primary carotid bifurcation which completely engulfed the external carotid artery, and partially the internal carotid. The tumor was resected with no postoperative complications, and a satisfactory recovery. The histopathology study revealed a paraganglioma, and the patient remains under successive follow-up monitoring