Carotid body paraganglioma: rare tumor in a 15-year-old adolescent boy

We report a 15-year-old adolescent boy with right-side carotid body paraganglioma (CBP). The diagnosis of CBP was suspected accidentally because of an asymptomatic mass in the right side of the neck and was confirmed by ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and carotid arteriography. The CBP was successfully removed surgically by complete subadventitial excision without complications or neurologic sequelae. In addition, the patient had type 1 diabetes. Recently, it has been demonstrated that carotid body plays a role in the glucoregulation in vivo and that hypoglycaemic episodes in patients with diabetes may be related to alterations of carotid body sensory function. Paragangliomas are extremely rare in pediatric age, and it is not clear in our patient if diabetes also has a role in the development of CBP. We describe the case and analyse the treatment options of CBP.