Familiarità e malignità nei paragangliomi cervicali

The cervical paragangliomas are rare tumors deriving from neoplastic transformation of the multiple structure (paraganglia) that in human organisms develop from neuroectodermic cells. The absence of a typical symptomatology may account for difficulties in the proper diagnosis. Between 1966 and 1989, 26 cervical paragangliomas were observed and surgically treated at Istituto di Chirurgia Generale e Cardiovascolare, University of Milan. 25 were carotid body chemodectomas, 2 were vagal paragangliomas. Clinical aspects, diagnostic procedures, surgical techniques and postoperative complications are analyzed. The possibility of familial occurrence of carotid body tumors and the frequency of malignant metastasizing paragangliomas, are stressed.