Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery risks and survival for dogs with carotid body tumors
By Paskoff, Kathryn Marie et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2025·BluePearl Veterinary Partners, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outcomes and Perioperative Complications of Surgical Resection on Canine Carotid Paragangliomas (21 Cases): A Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology Study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 21 dogs with carotid body paragangliomas, a rare type of tumor, underwent surgery to remove the growths. After the surgery, about half of the dogs experienced complications, such as breathing issues and aspiration pneumonia, but the overall risk of dying during or shortly after the procedure was low. For those dogs that survived, the average time they lived after surgery was about 18 months, with many living over a year. The study suggests that while there are risks, surgical removal of these tumors can lead to a good chance of long-term survival.
People also search for: dog carotid body tumor surgery · canine paraganglioma complications · dog tumor removal recovery
Abstract
Carotid body paragangliomas represent an uncommon neoplasm in dogs. The objective of this study was to report outcomes and complications associated with surgical excision of carotid body paragangliomas in 21 dogs. Cases were recruited retrospectively via medical record review from 9 veterinary speciality centres. The perioperative complication rate was 52% (11/21). Complications encountered in this cohort related to removal of carotid body tumour included airway obstruction, aspiration pneumonia, megaesophagus, unilateral laryngeal paralysis, coughing and Horner's syndrome. The overall perioperative mortality rate was 4.7% (1/21 dogs) and median survival time was 554 days for the six patients with known dates of death. One- and two-year survival rates were 61% and 42%, respectively. This is the largest collection of carotid body paraganglioma cases reported in veterinary literature. Based on these results, surgical resection of carotid body paragangliomas was associated with low perioperative mortality and long survival times.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39496580/