Abstract
Tympanic paragangliomas (TP) are the most common, benign primary tumors of the middle ear. They originate along the tympanic plexus associated with Jacobson’s (IX) and Arnold’s (X) nerves and are comprised of paraganglion cells derived from the neural crest. This class of tumors can be found throughout the body, though in the temporal bone, two forms are predominantly seen depending on the site of origin: tympanic (tympanic paraganglioma, TP) and jugular (jugular paraganglioma, JP), the latter of which arises from the adventitia of the jugular bulb. Like many other types of paraganglioma tumors in the head and neck, TP are highly vascular, and within the small confines of the tympanic and mastoid cavity, excision can be a complicated endeavor. Furthermore, the growing body of information regarding tumor biology is beginning to influence diagnostic and management paradigms. The following chapter reviews some of the most salient aspects of TP diagnosis and management.
Financial Material and Support: Internal departmental funding was utilized without commercial sponsorship or support. Conflict(s) of Interest to Declare: There are no relevant disclosures.
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Abbreviations
- CSF:
-
Cerebrospinal fluid
- CT:
-
Computed tomography
- EAC:
-
External auditory canal
- GT:
-
Glomus tympanicum
- JP:
-
Jugular paraganglioma
- MRI:
-
Magnetic resonance imaging
- TP:
-
Tympanic paraganglioma
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Sweeney, A.D., Carlson, M.L. (2018). Tympanic Paraganglioma. In: Wanna, G., Carlson, M., Netterville, J. (eds) Contemporary Management of Jugular Paraganglioma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60955-3_11
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