The Carotid Body: Historical

Abstract

As early as 1743, Taube, working under Haller, mentioned the presence of a “ganglion minutum” at the site of bifurcation of the common carotid artery. Thus, the existence of this organ has long been known, and the literature on it is considerable. In modern publications, this organ is generally denoted as the glomus caroticum or carotid body. Taube's conception, of the carotid body as a ganglion was already questioned by Luschka (1862) who, after a thorough study of this organ, pointed out that its structure differs from that of ordinary ganglions. According to Luschka, it was instead a gland-like organ, intimately related to the cervical sympathetic trunk. He therefore introduced the term “glandula carotica”, and regarded it as more in the nature of a “Nervendruse”. He observed that the organ was exceedingly well vascularized, but focused his main attention on the abundant nervous and epithelioid elements. A physiologic analysis of the carotid body in man has been in progress for several years at our clinic. Against this background, it is considered of importance to summarize our knowledge of this organ. An account is also given of the authors' observations on the structure of the carotid body as seen under the light- and electron microscope.