Sonographic findings in glomus tympanicum tumor

Abstract

A glomus tympanicum tumor that is associated with a visible retrotympanic mass is the most frequent cause of pulsatile tinnitus. The preoperative diagnostic approach to this lesion includes a meticulous physical examination as well as high-resolution CT, magnetic resonance angiography, and digital angiography, which can also be used for pre-operative embolization. We report the use of color transcranial Doppler sonography in the evaluation of glomus tympanicum tumor in a 67-year-old woman with a 3-year history of left tinnitus. An otoscopic examination revealed a reddish pulsatile mass behind an intact tympanic membrane. No lesions were visualized on gray-scale sonography. Contrast-enhanced color transcranial Doppler sonography showed a vascular ovoid mass that measured 2 × 1 × 1 cm; spectral analysis of the lesion revealed arterial flow with a low resistance index. Color transcranial Doppler sonography helped define the dimensions and vascular characteristics of the lesion. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.