[Head and neck paraganglioma--neoplasm of nervous origin]

The authors of the present paper demonstrate the head and neck paraganglioma, discuss its location, clinical picture, diagnostics and treatment. Paragangliomas are relatively rarely occurring tumors, stemming from the autonomic nervous system. Initially asymptomatic, they do not present any characteristic clinical picture during the further development. Not large size of the tumor contributes to the late diagnosis which is most regrettable due to its potential malignancy (10%). Diagnostic and therapeutic problems cause it's medication reasonable only in specialist centers. Perioperative mortality is estimated at 5 to 13%. Postoperative neurological lesions in a form of the cranial carebro-vascular failure occur in 8 to 20% of cases. A contemporary advanced angiosurgical and anesthesiologic technology allow reducing a postoperative mortality to 5% and neurological complications by 10%. During the previous years many centers carried a preoperative embolization of a tumor during angiographies. An alternative to the large tumor vessels obliteration may be a radium therapy, although several reports confirm its low radiosensitivity.