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Sporadic cases of carotid body tumors (paraganglioma) are bilateral in 5% of cases. Familial cases are bilateral in 32% of cases.

The histologic appearance is not a predicter of behavior. Mets may be associated with these tumors to lymph nodes or distant organs.

The difficulty with resection is directly related to the degree of invasiveness of the mass into the carotid wall.

93% of patients present with a nontender mass.

Differential: branchial cleft cyst, mets, ectopic thyroid, lymphoma, pseudoaneurysms.