Carotid Body Tumor Presenting as Parotid Swelling Misdiagnosed as Pleomorphic Adenoma: A Rare Presentation

Abstract

Carotid body tumor (CBT) also known as chemodectoma is a rare tumor of neuroendocrine tissue of carotid body and is the most commonly seen jugular paraganglioma. In most cases, it is benign but it can be malignant. Extra adrenal paraganglioma is rare. We present such a rare case where unusual presentation of chemodectoma was seen as a parotid swelling. This swelling was misdiagnosed as a pleomorphic adenoma on clinical examination, ultrasonography, and fine‑needle aspiration cytology and superficial parotidectomy was done for the same, but on histopathological examination it was found to be CBT presenting as a parotid swelling.

Keywords: Carotid body tumor, chemodectoma, paraganglioma, parotid swelling