Glomus tympanum tumor - Treatment

Alternative Names

Paraganglioma - glomus tympanum

Treatment:

Glomus tympanum tumors are rarely cancerous and do not tend to spread to other parts of the body. However, treatment may be needed to relieve symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

Patients who have surgery tend to do well. More than 90% of people with glomus tympanum tumors are cured.

Complications:

The most common complication is hearing loss.

Nerve damage, which may be caused by the tumor itself or damage during surgery, rarely occurs. Nerve damage can lead to facial paralysis.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you notice:

Difficulty with hearing or swallowing
Problems with the muscles in your face
Pulsing sensation in your ear

Reviewed last on: 2/1/2010
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.

References

Rucker JC. Cranial neuropathies. In: Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 74.

Marsh M, Jenkins H. Temporal bone neoplasms and lateral cranial base surgery. In: Cummings CW, Flint PW, Haughey BH, et al. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2005:chap 162.

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