Glomus jugulare tumours : their otological and neurological importance

Abstract

Perusal of the literature pertaining to glomus jugulare tumours reveals the long interval which usually passes between the onset of symptoms, caused by these slowly growing tumours, and the time of diagnosis. Two case studies illustrating the main different clinical manifestations of these tumours are described. The tumours, histologically, consist of clumps of large polyhedral epithelial cells. The main presenting symptoms may be either otological or neurological, or a mixture of both. This depends on the exact site of origin of the tumour and also on the, direction in which it invades surrounding structures. Neurological manifestations though important develop, as a rule, after the start of otological symptoms. Another peculiar feature of these tumours is their increased incidence in females. The symptoms caused by these tumours have been mistaken for those arising from chronic otitis media, chronic secretory otitis media, acute suppurative otitis media and granulomata of the external auditory canal. Treatment is either surgical or by radio-therapeutic means or by a combination of both, radiotherapy preceeding surgery to reduce the vascularity of the growth. Another method of treatment which may prove to be a useful adjunct is cryosurgery.