Chemodectomas arising in temporal bone structures

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

This is an analysis of 32 patients with chemodectomas arising in temporal bone structures who were evaluated and treated at the University of Florida between February 1964 and December 1984. The follow-up ranged from 2 to 18 years, with 24 patients (75%) having greater than 5 years of follow-up. The tumors were staged according to the presence or absence of bone or cranial nerve involvement. Twenty-five patients were treated for de novo lesions as follows: 6 patients with early lesions were managed with surgery alone, 15 patients with radiotherapy alone, and 4 patients with surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. Seven patients were seen for the management of recurrent chemodectomas after initial surgery (4 patients) or initial surgery plus radiotherapy (3 patients) elsewhere. All patients managed with radiotherapy were treated with megavoltage equipment with doses ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 cGy at 170–180 cGy per fraction. The disease was controlled in all 25 patients who presented with de novo lesions. Local failure occurred in one of seven patients treated for recurrent chemodectomas; this patient was previously managed with surgery and radiotherapy elsewhere.