This curved reformat of a CT angiogram nicely shows an arterial-phase enhancing lesion situated between the internal and external carotid ...
This curved reformat of a CT angiogram nicely shows an arterial-phase enhancing lesion situated between the internal and external carotid arteries. This is the typical location and appearance of a carotid body tumour. Carotid body tumour is a paraganglioma of the carotid body; this is the most common site of paraganglioma in the head & neck. Other sites include glomus jugulare / jugulotympanicum, glomus vagale, glomus tympanicum, or rarely glomus faciale (along the course of the facial nerve). Malignant features may be seen in 6% of head & neck paragangliomas, and possibly as high as 16% for glomus vagale.
Reference: Valvassori’s Imaging of the Head and Neck 2nd ed. Mafee MF et al. Thieme 2005.
