Color Doppler Sonography of the Neck in a Patient with Bilateral Carotid Body Tumors

Paragangliomas are rare cases. Carotid body tumor (CBT) is the most common paragan-glioma of the head and neck. Embryologically derived from neural crest cells, paragan-glioma and pheochromocytoma are similar in histology. But unlike pheochromocytoma, almost all paragangliomas are nonfunctional. Duplex sonography is increasingly used as the first noninvasive diagnostic tool for neck mass. However, for more detail of soft tissue nearby, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) with 3D reconstruction are preferred. Herein we report a patient having bilateral CBT concomitant with bilateral pheochromocytomas. Duplex sonography clearly demonstrates the tumor and surrounding carotid arteries. Compared with CT, duplex sonography is a more rapid, convenient, safe, and economic measurement for the first diagnostic step.