Level of plasma catecholamine predicts surgical outcomes of carotid body tumors: Retrospective cohort study.

Abstract

Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are rare neoplasms and some of them produce catecholamine. Although operations for catecholamine-producing CBTs are safe, the relationship between prognosis and endocrine function has not been analyzed before. Patients diagnosed with CBTs in our department between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed. Plasma catecholamine was examined as a variable of surgical outcomes and prognosis by using statistical methods. Patients who suffered CBTs and underwent operations were divided into two groups according to their plasma catecholamine. Patients in the normal group had more or heavier surgical complications, such as neurological complications (P = .008) and blood loss (P = .03), than those in the high group. However, overall survival, local recurrence, and remote metastasis were not varied significantly in both groups. A high level of plasma catecholamine was a predictor for the improved operative outcomes of CBTs. Hence, nonfunctional CBTs had further short-term surgical complications.