ABOUT THE DISEASE

A glomus jugulare tumor is a benign (non cancerous) tumor that develops in the skull, in the area called as the jugular foramen on the temporal bone. It can cause hearing loss, problems with swallowing, and facial paralysis and is therefore important to remove it. Although slow growing, it may spread extensively inside the ear and Eustachian tube, upper neck, base of the skull, and the surrounding blood vessels and nerves.

These tumors form more often in women than in men, and in the elderly. They can, however, form in anyone at any age.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms include:

• • Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• • Dizziness
• • Hearing problems
• • Hearing pulsations in the ear
• • Hoarseness
• • Pain
• • Weakness or loss of movement in the face (facial nerve palsy)

CAUSES

Glomus jugulare tumors, also known as glomus tumors, are a group of tumors that develop in glomus cells and tissues, that are specialized cells found in some blood vessels and along nerves. The cells act to detect changes in the bloodstream, such as the presence of a certain chemical or a change in temperature. The causes of glomus jugulare tumor formation are not entirely understood, but genetic factors are suspected. These are thought to be acquired mutations that cause the tumors, rather than hereditary genes.

DIAGNOSIS

- Physical Examination
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Cerebral angiography

TREATMENT METHODS

Treatment is be needed to relieve symptoms and options include:

1) Complete Surgical Removal
In some cases, a procedure called embolization is performed before surgery to prevent the tumor from bleeding too much during surgery.
2) Surgery Followed by Radiation Therapy
After surgery, radiation therapy may be used to treat any part of the tumor that could not be removed completely.
3) Stereotactic Radio Surgery

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