MULTIPLE GLOMUS TUMORS

A patient with multiple, synchronous, non-familial head and neck paragangliomas is reported. There were three primary neoplasms, a glomus tympanicum and glomus vagale on the right side and a glomus tumour of the carotid body on the left. Such a combination has never been reported previously. The reports of all the series with paragangliomas in the literature, as well as the reports of single cases with multiple tumours during the last three decades, are reviewed. Specific problems in diagnosis and management of multiple glomus tumours are discussed.