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Paragangliomas of the head and neck

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Paragangliomas are uncommon vascular tumours of the head and neck. Eighteen such cases were treated during a six year period. Of the five patients having glomus tympanicum tumours, 3 required a tympanotomy, one a transmastoid excision while one needed a modified Fisch’s type A technique. Eight glomus jugulare tumours were excised by a modified Fisch’s type A approach. One of the four cases with carotid body tumours required carotid replacement by a saphenous vein graft. A glomus vagale tumour was excised transcervically by a median mandibulotomy. Three patients had bilateral tumours. Postoperatively lower cranial nerve palsy persisted in three cases. Two patients having residual intracranial disease received postoperative irradiation. Contrast enhanced CT in axial and coronal planes was found to obviate the need for angiography in all but jugulare tumours.

There was no recurrence of symptoms in any case during 6 months to 6 years of followup.

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Bahadur, S., Tandon, D.A., Singh, A.M. et al. Paragangliomas of the head and neck. IJO & HNS 48, 284–288 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03048653

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