Case
About this case
Operative video: Paraganglioma. The background notes below summarise the anatomy, pathology and approach, with published references.
Reference notes
Background
Notes on this case’s cranial location, pathology and surgical approach, with published sources. General education only, not advice for any individual patient.
Pathology
Paraganglioma
Paragangliomas (glomus tumours) are hypervascular neuroendocrine tumours of the paraganglia; in the temporal bone they arise at the jugular foramen (glomus jugulare) or on the cochlear promontory of the middle ear (glomus tympanicum). They cause pulsatile tinnitus and lower-cranial-nerve palsies, and a substantial minority are hereditary (especially SDHx mutations), so genetic testing and screening for catecholamine secretion are part of the work-up.
Management combines preoperative embolisation with skull-base resection, or radiosurgery, tailored to the patient's age, cranial-nerve function and tumour extent.