[Glomus caroticum, jugulare and vagale--problems in diagnosis and treatment]

The paraganglia tissue in 80% is located in suprarenal glands. The rest (20%) are with close association with autonomic nerves and some cranial nerves. Paraganglioma, being tumors arising from the paraganglion cells of the parasympathetic system, were first reported in man in 1935. Although histologically these tumors have been shown to contain neurosecretory granules, they are rarely functional. There are four kinds of paragangliomas: deriving from carotid artery baroreceptors (glomus caroticum), internal jugular vein (glomus jugulare); placed along vagal nerve (glomus vagale) and paragangliomas of tympanic cavity (glomus tympanicum). The first three of them are clinically recognized as tumor of the neck.

Authors present group of 7 patients with paragangliomas treated in ENT Department in Poznań in the years 1994-2004. There were treated 4 patients with glomus caroticum, two with glomus vagale and one patient with glomus jugulare.

All patients were treated surgically. In one case in group with glomus caroticum in histological examination tendency to infiltration of internal carotid artery was stated (chemodectoma malignum). The tumor was removed totally with partial excision of communis, external and internal carotid artery. The internal carotid artery was closed by the tumor.

Authors underline three aspects of process of treatment in whole group of patients: diagnostic problems, way of treatment and long term results.