Glomus tympanicum tumor: A case report

Abstract

We described a 50-year-old woman with a glomus tympanicum tumor limited to the middle ear. She complained of mild facial nerve palsy, otalgia, hearing loss, and pulsatile tinnitus on the left side. At first, she was diagnosed as having acute inflamation of the middle and inner ear, and she underwent conservative treatment. Facial nerve palsy improved after 1.5 months, but otoscopic examination (reddish tympanic membrane in the posterior portion) and hearing level were not changed. High-resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a lesion in the meso-hypotympanum without bone destruction. She underwent left middle ear exploration through a postauricular approach. This revealed a vascular mass in the middle ear. Preoperative angiography and embolization was done and the tumor was surgically excised using the transmastoid extended facial recess approach, incurring a small amount of bleeding. Up to 1 and a half years after operation, no recurrence of the tumor has been detected.