[Carotid body paraganglioma in a teenager. Case report]. / Paraganglioma del cuerpo carotídeo en adolescente. Reporte de caso.

BACKGROUND: Paragangliomas of the head and neck are neuroendocrine tumors. They have a low incidence (0.6%), are generally benign, have a poorly defined etiology, and multiple factors have been associated with their origin. Humans and other species living at high altitudes (>2000 m above sea level) are subjected to a relatively chronic hypoxia and there is a high prevalence of the development of carotid body hyperplasia and eventually paragangliomas. This disease is usually seen in patients in their 50s and in their 30s if there is a family history. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a 16 year-old female with acute pharyngitis and growing tumor located on the left side of the neck, without symptoms. A duplex Doppler ultrasound showed a solid nodular lesion on the left carotid bifurcation. A left lateral cervicotomy was performed, finding a highly vascularized tumor of 4 × 3 × 3 cm involving the common carotid from its middle third, the internal carotid up to the cranial base, and the external carotid to its upper third, and intimately related to the trachea, esophagus and cervical spine. The tumor was completely resected and the histopathological analysis corroborated the presence of paragangliomas. CONCLUSIONS: The publication of this case is relevant and of clinical interest due to the uncommon age of presentation and the fact that it should be considered as a diagnostic possibility.

Antecedentes: los paragangliomas de cabeza y cuello son tumores neuroendocrinos de baja incidencia (0.6%), en su mayor parte benignos, en cuyo origen se han involucrado múltiples factores. Los seres humanos y otras especies que viven a grandes alturas (por arriba de 2000 metros sobre el nivel del mar) son propensos a sufrir hipoxia crónica relativa, hiperplasia del cuerpo carotídeo y, eventualmente, paragangliomas. Este padecimiento aparece en la quinta década de la vida y en la tercera, en caso de presentación familiar. Caso clínico: se comunica el caso de una adolescente de 16 años de edad que un año antes tuvo faringitis aguda con tumor localizado en la cara lateral izquierda del cuello, de crecimiento gradual, sin ningún síntoma. El ultrasonido Doppler dúplex de cuello mostró una lesión nodular sólida sobre el trayecto de la bifurcación carotídea izquierda. Fue intervenida quirúrgicamente mediante cervicotomía lateral izquierda, en la cual se encontró una tumoración de aproximadamente 4 × 3 × 3 cm, sumamente vascularizada, que afectaba la carótida común desde su tercio medio, la carótida interna hasta la base del cráneo y la carótida externa hasta el tercio superior, con íntima relación con la tráquea, el esófago y la columna cervical. La tumoración se resecó en su totalidad, el estudio histopatológico corroboró los paragangliomas. Conclusiones: la edad de presentación es poco común, por lo que se considera relevante y de interés clínico comunicar este caso, toda vez que debe considerarse como posibilidad diagnóstica.

Treatment of arterial pseudoaneurysms with percutaneous ultrasound-guided thrombin injection.

BACKGROUND: The pseudoaneurysms or false aneurysms are one of the most common complications after arterial invasive manipulation. Different methods of treatment have been described, such as surgical repair, ultrasound-guided compression and endovascular procedures. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection has shown efficacy, safety and low cost, and, in some cases, the procedure is considered the treatment of choice. Preliminary results are presented. DESIGN: Case series. We studied adult patients with iatrogenic arterial pseudoaneurysms demonstrated clinically and corroborated with ultrasound. We describe the technique used for the management of the arterial pseudoaneurysms by ultrasound-guided thrombin application, as well as complications and follow-up. RESULTS: Twelve patients were included with a mean age of 63 years (SD 12.4), 33% were male and 67% female. Associated comorbid states were hypertension 83%, 50% diabetes, obesity 66%. All pseudoaneurysms were located in the femoral artery (2:1 right/left ratio). The mean size of the pseudoaneurysm was 48.2 mm SD 11.9, (range of 30 to 65 mm) by 44.3 mm SD 9.3, (range 20 to 53 mm). The average neck diameter was 2.2 mm SD 0.54 (range of 1.5 to 3 mm). Eleven cases were unilobulated (87.5%), and one bilobulated (12.5%). All reported arterial integrity with complete occlusion after one thrombin application without recurrence and morbidity after 90 days of follow up. CONCLUSIONS: In our study we obtained a 100% of thrombosis without pseudoaneurysm recurrence or complications. However a longer follow-up time and more number of cases are required to confirm these results.