Carotid paragangliomas, commonly referred as carotid body tumors (CBTs), are the most common neuroendocrine tumors in the head and neck. They are most commonly located at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery and usually present as a painless neck mass.

Carotid body tumour are highly vascularized tumors which can make tumor resection particularly challenging. Specifically, vascular and neurologic sequelae are feared complications of CBT surgical therapy. Schick et al. first introduced the concept of preoperative embolization in 1980 and reported the first such CBT resection. Since then, several studies have evaluated the impact of preoperative embolization on CBT surgery. There is evidence suggesting that preoperative selective embolization may reduce blood loss during surgery and decrease the risk of perioperative complications.