Carotid body tumor arises from? -

Carotid body tumour arises in the carotid bodies which are situated at the bifurcation of the common carotid aeries. Carotid bodies are normally pa of the chemoreceptor system and the cell of this system are sensitive to changes in the pH and aerial oxygen tension and are also the storage site for catecholamines.Histologically similar tumours are found in other parasympathetic ganglia represented by the vagus and glomus jugulare (jugulotympanic bodies).Carotid body paragangliomas, as they are currently called, are rare tumours and occur between 3rd and 6th decades oflife with slight female preponderance. A few (5%) are bilateral and some show familial incidence. HARSH MOHAN Textbook of pathology 6th edition pg no 521