The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor

This article discusses the use of ultrasound in diagnosing and assessing carotid body tumors. It explores the benefits and limitations of ultrasound in this process, including its cost-effectiveness and convenience. The article also highlights the importance of locational identity and vascularity in ultrasound imaging for accurate diagnosis. While ultrasound is the first-line modality for diagnosis, the article also mentions other imaging processes that can enhance comprehensive results and assessment of the tumors.

The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor 1
THE ROLE OF ULTRASOUND IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF CAROTID
BODY TUMOR
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The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor 2
The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor
The latest discoveries in the medical field have given a powerful indication that more
changes in health science are eminent. One of the health complications that have recently met its
possible solution is the Carotid Body Tumor. This complication is known to be a slow-growing
mass in the neck at the carotid bifurcation. The use of ultrasound has made it possible to evaluate
this type of growth in the neck in a cost effective and convenient imaging set up in the process of
determining diagnosis for the carotid Body Tumor complication. This process is made possible
through the duplex ultrasound image and the pulsed Doppler imaging that has enhanced
efficiency and functionality of the system.
In this case, therefore, the ultrasound uses two important factors; locational identity and
vascularity, meaning that an accurate location of the tumor on the neck as well as the coexistence
of carotid artery disease is assessed (Arslan, et al. 2000). Despite the existing variableness such
as limitations and inadequacy of the ultrasound to substantiate the Carotid Body Tumor from the
other types of growths in the neck due to their similarities in their ultrasound appearances,
ultrasound is the first line modality of imaging for planning diagnosis for the Carotid Body
Tumor. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to determine the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis
and assessment of carotid body tumor.
Ultrasound as a first-line modality for diagnosis of Carotid Body Tumour
According to the studies done by Tong (2012), it was revealed that the results of ultrasounds is
based on two factors; the location and the vascularity, that are used in the evaluation and
assessment when trying to detect the presence of the Carotid Body Tumors. By focusing on the

The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor 3
reasons for ultrasound being the first lime modality in the diagnosis of the Carotid Body Tumour,
the study suggests that the duplex ultrasound is normally useful in the first-line imaging modality
that can effectively assess the Carotid Body Tumors and other masses in the neck. Although the
study has some limitations as far as survey sample is concerned, Tong (p.129-133) found out that
the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound as the first line modality in assessing the diagnosis of the
carotid Body Tumor, it can also be used in assessing other lesions.
Samuel (2011) also studied the role of ultrasound in evaluating the neck lesions through
shape, location, structure, and vascularity indication. Using the a controlled study on a 70 year
old man, the study found out that a typical Carotid Body Tumor define the solid mass very well
at the carotid bifurcation as well as displaying the high vascularity on color Doppler. However,
the study lacked an efficiently substantial case report that could highlight the benefit of
ultrasound in evaluating the Carotid Body Tumor. Therefore, the study concluded that for
valuable imaging in the initial detection, evaluation, as well as investigation of the carotid
bifurcation tumors, color duplex ultrasound is very important.
Suitability of ultrasound in the finding and investigating of Carotid Paragangliomas of the
neck
According to the study done by Dematte, et al.(2012), it was found out that the ultra sound is a
very important imaging modality toll that gives beneficial diagnosis of Carotid Paragangliomas.
The study however, found out that the ultrasound, as determined, was not effectively accurate in
determining the lesions dimensions.
The role played by ultrasound in detecting and evaluating benign and malignant tumors was also
studied by LV, et al. (2016). In this study, it was shown that ultrasound together with CT

The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor 4
examination gives a significant evaluation of the hypo-echoic mass in the Carotid bifurcation
covered by the tumor.
Limitation of the ultrasound in the Diagnosis and the Assessment of the Carotid Body
Tumors
Based on the studies done, it has been found that even though ultrasound is very effective
in terms of costs, efficiencies, and convenience in evaluating and assessing the Carotid Body
Tumor, it has been found to have some limitations. The study done by LV, et al. (2016) found
out that, in trying to assess the role of different imaging modalities in the detection and
evaluation of malignant Carotid Body Tumors, there were restrictions on the conveniences of the
patients. Ultrasound had some inadequacy in the differentiating the Carotid Body Tumor from
other types of neck masses in certain regions, especially when it is located in the carotid
bifurcation that have the same appearances (Moritz, et al. 2010).
Demotte, et al. (p.158-163) states that even though ultrasound gives the first-line imaging
modality in the process of detecting Carotid Paragangliomas and confirming the location of the
tumors, it was found that ultrasound is not accurate in the measurement of the lesions
dimensions. These limitations indicate that more processes are available for use in enhancing
more comprehensive results and assessment of the Carotid Body Tumors, such as Computed
Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. These processes have been
found to be very great in the demonstration of the relationship of neck masses to adjacent
structures and also are more significant to comprehend CBT from other Paragangliomas. More
than that, it has been determined that Angiography is better for identification of blood supply to
the CBT.

The Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Carotid Body Tumor 5
References
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Jin, Z.Q., He, W., Wu, D.F., Lin, M.Y. and Jiang, H.T., 2016. Color doppler ultrasound in
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