Vagal Paraganglioma: A Rare Finding in a 31-Year-Old Male

Abstract

Vagal paraganglioma is a rare finding that develops from paraganglionic tissue found around the vagus nerve; it has a prevalence of 0.012% of all tumors. It is the third most common paraganglioma of the head and neck but still accounts for less than 5% of these tumors, and it has a well-established female prevalence. It is a difficult tumor to identify early based on its symptoms alone and only a thorough investigation can help solidify its diagnosis. In this report, we discuss a presentation of this phenomenon that is not only unique in its manifestation but also a very difficult diagnosis due to its deceptive presentation and multiple extensions. These masses need a good surgical regime to be removed properly and postoperative complications are very frequent in most of these cases.