Jugular foramen paragangliomas: preoperative transcatheter particle embolization

Jugular foramen paragangliomas (JFP) are benign tumors of neural crest origin that are located along the temporal bone in the region of the jugular bulb and middle ear. The optimal management of these lesions includes surgical excision with or without preoperative embolization as well as stereotactic radiotherapy. The use of preoperative embolization in the treatment of JFP has shown great promise to bridge patients to surgery by diminishing complication rates and decreasing intraoperative bleeding. We present three successful polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particle embolizations of patients presenting with symptomatic JFPs. All patients recovered completely in the short term with no bleeding during or after resection of paragangliomas and they were discharged free of their presenting symptoms. Early clinical and imaging diagnosis followed by adequate treatment including preoperative transcatheter particle embolization and surgical or radiosurgical interventions can lead to excellent outcomes.