Glomus Jugulare

Glomus jugulare is a rare, slow-growing neuroendocrine paraganglioma of the head and neck that arises within the jugular foramen and is localized to the jugular fossa in the temporal bone of the skull base. Paragangliomas are benign and originate from neural crest derivatives, known as the paraganglia. Paragangliomas are also known as chemodectomas, and their estimated incidence has been reported up to 1 to 3 per 100,000 people. There are two types of paragangliomas: sympathetic and parasympathetic, and most head and neck paragangliomas, including glomus jugulare tumors, are derived from the latter type. Throughout the head and neck, paragangliomas can have a wide range of locations including the carotid bifurcation (carotid body tumor), at the superior vagal ganglion (glomus jugulare tumor), at the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (glomus tympanicum tumor), and at the inferior vagal ganglion (glomus vagale tumor). Although their natural history is usually slow-growing, glomus tumors can cause significant complications due to the associated mass effect and compression, and even erosion of local structures. Management of glomus jugulare can present a challenge due to their hypervascularity, difficult anatomic location, and advanced stage at diagnosis.