XXXIII Carotid Body-like Tumors of the Temporal Bone with Particular Reference to Glomus-Jugulare Tumors

Malignant Glomus Tumors

“…A commonly cited figure is 4%, according to Borsanyi, 18 who reviewed 200 glomus cases 18 . Approximately 30 cases have been reported as having metastases from a temporal bone glomus 19–41 . The most common locations for metastases are lymph nodes, skeleton, lungs, and liver 17 .…”

Chemoreceptor Tumours in the Neck Arising away from the Carotid body

“…Case III of Lattes and Waltner (1949) had a white deposit in the liver but the photomicrograph of the tissue shows degenerate neoplastic material which may or may not be secondary to the aural tumour; the appearances may be due to degeneration as the result of failure of continuing autonomous growth of a focus of glomus jugulare tumour cells; another possibility, mentioned by Gaffney (1953) is that the original aural polyp was an extension of an intracranial neoplasm. Case I of Tamari et al (1951) had deposits in liver and lungs but the description is brief and there are no photomicrographs. In Case I of Henson et al (1953) there was no microscopic examination of the deposits found in liver, lungs and spleen.…”

Tumors of the Temporal Bone

“…However, because of the damages produced by their spreading to the intracranial struc¬ tures, they have also been considered malig¬ nant. Reports of métastases to the cervical glands (Winship, Klopp, and Jenkins, 1948), to the liver (Lattes and Waltner, 1949), to the lung (Tamari, McMahon, and Bergendahl, 1951), and to the oral cavity (Bradley and Maxwell, 1954) have lead to the belief that the tumors are po¬ tentially malignant. These growths usually spread along the lines of least resistance: to the tympanic cavity and the paratympanic region when they originate from the tym¬ panic paraganglia (tympanic paragan¬ glioma), to the jugular foramen (jugular paraganglioma), and to both regions when the new growths arise from the paraganglia of the carotid-tympanic canal (tympano¬ jugular paraganglioma).…”