Role of neck dissections in the management of carotid body tumors.

Objective: Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are rare neoplasms of the paraganglia at the carotid bifurcation. While typically benign, CBTs occasionally exhibit malignancy, metastasizing to nearby lymph nodes. Histopathologic analysis alone is insufficient to confirm malignancy, requiring metastases to non-neuroendocrine tissue for a definitive diagnosis.