Premium
MULTICENTRIC CHEMODECTOMA IN THE HEAD AND NECK
Author(s) -
Havas ThomasE.,
Guullne PatrickJ.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1989.tb01648.x
Subject(s) - chemodectoma , medicine , asymptomatic , embolization , head and neck , vagus nerve , radiology , glomus tumor , paraganglioma , surgery , stimulation
A case of a multicenlric chemodectoma, with the unusual combination of glomus vagale and glomus tympanicum, is presented. The patient, though asymptomatic, showed elevated levels of urinary catecholamines, suggesting some biochemical activity of the tumour. Multicentricity was unsuspected prior to selective carotid arteriography. Intraoperative haemostasis was assisted by the utilization of pre‐operative selective embolization of the tumour mass. Subsequently, the injected ivalon was confirmed histologically in the specimen. The asymptomatic small glomus tympanicum tumour was treated using embolization alone but only time will determine the effectiveness of this method of management. The vagus nerve was anatomically spared, but complete function had not returned after 2 years of follow‐up.