Table of Contents
- Overview
A glomus tympanum tumor is a tumor of the middle ear and bone behind the ear (mastoid).
Alternative Names
Paraganglioma - glomus tympanum
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
A glomus tympanum tumor grows in the temporal bone of the skull, behind the ear drum (tympanic membrane).
This area contains nerve fibers (glomus bodies) that normally respond to changes in body temperature or blood pressure.
These tumors usually occur late in life, around age 60 or 70, but they can appear at any age.
The cause of a glomus tympanum tumor is unknown. Usually, there are no known risk factors. Glomus tumors have been associated with changes (mutations) in a gene responsible for the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDHD).
Review Date: 02/01/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; and Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist,
Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed
by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
