Glomus bodies are structures throughout the body that monitor the blood for several chemicals. Rarely they can grow and form a tumor, known as a glomus tumor.

Glomus TumorThe most common places for these tumors to develop are in the neck and the base of the skull below the ear. These tumors are almost always benign, but when they are cancerous, they are very low malignancy.

Patient Population

Glomus tumors typically affect women between the ages of 50 and 60 years old.

Symptoms

Glomus tumors can grow very slowly and the most common symptoms patients have are hearing loss, noise in their ear, balance problems, and swallowing problems.

Diagnosis

An initial physical examination of the ear and eardrum typically reveals an abnormality that may be a glomus tumor.

If the doctor suspects there is a tumor, he or she may order a computed tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get a better view of the tumor, including information about it's size and location.

If surgery is required to remove the tumor, an angiogram  can be done to view the blood flow around the tumor and to determine the best course of treatment.

Treatment Options

Because these tumors are so slow growing, there are many different options available for treating them, including simple observation.

When they grow to a larger size, or are causing symptoms, treatment options are explored. The location of these tumors is different for every patient and treatment plans need to be made specifically for each patient.

Neurotologists provide care for hearing, balance, and facial weakness that can occur as a result of these tumors.

Often radiation is used to target the tumor and shrink or destroy it. Surgical excision of the tumor is particularly effective in many cases.