[Head and neck paragangliomas].
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated patients who were treated for head and neck paragangliomas.


METHODS
The study included 40 patients (25 females, 15 males; mean age 48 years; range 26 to 74 years) who were operated on for paragangliomas of the head and neck region between 1993 and 2007. Clinical findings, treatment modalities, and the results of treatment were evaluated.


RESULTS
The most common complaint was neck swelling (n=30), followed by tinnitus (n=7), hearing loss (n=6), imbalance (n=3), pain (n=2), hoarseness (n=2), and nasal obstruction (n=1). The mean duration of symptoms was 22 months. The most common paraganglioma was glomus caroticum (n=28) with a mean tumor diameter of 4.5 cm (range 2 to 12 cm). Urinary vanilmandelic acid concentration was measured in 24 patients and found above normal range in two patients. Octreotide scintigraphy was performed in 14 patients and femoral angiography was performed in 27 patients. Multicentric disease was present in one patient and one patient had bilateral involvement. Transcervical excision was the most common approach. Complications were as follows: transient facial nerve paresis (n=3), vagal nerve palsy (n=2), hypoglossal nerve palsy (n=2), permanent facial paralysis (n=1), bleeding (n=1), and total hearing loss (n=1). No recurrences were encountered during a mean follow-up of 71 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative evaluation of all patients with respect to catecholamine secretion and multicentric disease is important for choosing the proper treatment and preventing possible complications.
Yüce
Imdat
I
Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. imdatyuce@hotmail.com
Cağli
Sedat
S
Bayram
Ali
A
Güney
Ercihan
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
D002395:Catecholamines; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid