Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of carotid body tumor (CBT) as well as the diagnostic and treatment experience.
Methods: The clinical data of 38 CBT patients treated in the Department of Vascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University during October 2008 to April 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 
14 cases were males and 14 cases were females, with age ranging from 23 to 76 years; 36 cases had unilateral lesion and 2 cases had bilateral lesions. In the 40 tumors, 6 were classified as Shamblin type I, 12 were type II and 
22 were type III.
Results: Definitive diagnosis was made in all patients by neck CTA or MRA. Of the 38 patients, 3 cases with unilateral lesion underwent conservative treatment, and the remaining 35 cases with a total of 37 lesions underwent surgical resection, of whom, one case underwent DSA examination and embolization in bilateral external carotid arteries. No death occurred during operation, the average operative time was (140±48) min and intraoperative blood loss was (194±148) mL. All Shamblin type I lesions were treated by simple CBT resection, and the Shamblin type II and III lesions were treated by simple CBT resection or CBT resection combined with other procedures (division, reconstruction or ligation of the carotid arteries). All the resected lesions were diagnosed as benign paraganglioma by postoperative pathology. Transient cranial nerve injury occurred in 
8 patients, and permanent cranial nerve injury occurred in 2 patients, and death occurred in one patient after operation. The incidence of cranial nerve injury was higher in patients undergoing simple CBT resection than that in patients undergoing CBT resection plus other procedures (P<0.05). All patents were followed up for half a month to 10 years, no tumor recurrence or other complications were noted in patients undergoing surgical treatment, and the 3 patients receiving conservative treatment still had their tumor, but they were alive.
Conclusion: For CBT, CTA or MRA is the first diagnostic option and surgical resection is the first treatment option. The selection of surgical procedures should be made based on the size and shape as well as the classification of the tumor.