Carotid Body Paraganglioma Regression with Relief of Hypoxemia

Excerpt

Carotid body paragangliomas are associated with hypoxemic stress caused by high altitude and chronic pulmonary disease (1). We have recently seen a patient with bilateral carotid body paragangliomas and hypoxemic pulmonary disease in whom the tumor regressed with improved oxygenation.

A 58-year-old Mexican-American woman was admitted to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center because of increasing shortness of breath. The patient had active pulmonary tuberculosis in 1952 and 1974. She was asymptomatic until 4 months before admission when she noticed decreasing exercise tolerance. Eight days before admission she had the onset of sore throat, nonproductive cough, and malaise.