Glomus jugulare tumor

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Glomus jugulare tumor

Alternative Names:

Tumor - Jacobson's nerve; Jacobson's nerve tumor; Tumor - temporal bone
Treatment:

Glomus jugulare tumors are rarely malignant, which means that they do not tend to spread to other parts of the body. However, because of their location, treatment may be necessary to relieve symptoms. The primary treatment is surgery.

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Sometimes the tumor has to be treated before surgery with embolization (cutting off the blood supply) to shrink the blood supply to the tumor. The surgery is technically complex and is usually performed by both a neurosurgeon and a head and neck surgeon.

After surgery, radiation therapy may be used to treat any part of the tumor that could not be removed completely.

Expectations (prognosis):

Glomus jugulare tumors are usually well controlled with surgery or radiation. The cure rate is over 90%.

Complications:

The most common complications are caused by nerve damage, which may be related to the tumor itself, or may be caused by damage during surgery. This can lead to facial paralysis, hearing loss, and difficulty swallowing.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your physician or health care provider if you notice a lump in your neck, if you are having difficulty with hearing or swallowing, or if you notice any abnormality in your facial muscles.