Of all the neurogenous tumors occurring in the neck, the carotid-body tumor is the commonest and one of the most interesting. In the past five years considerable attention has been directed toward the diagnosis and treatment of this tumor. Disagreement and confusion have existed concerning the biology of this tumor and its management. Pathologists have disagreed about its malignant potentialities, and surgeons have disagreed as to whether the tumor should be extirpated or a noli-me-tangere attitude should be followed. Incontestable proof has been recently furnished that the carotid-body tumor manifests not only regional metastasis but can also spread throughout the body in a small percentage of cases. It is estimated that approximately 15% of the cases of carotid-body tumor are malignant, thus adding considerable gravity to their proper management.4 The noli-me-tangere attitude was originally a consequence of the prohibitive operative mortality of 40%-55% reported in the past, when attempts