Cervical paraganglioma--a case report and review of all cases reported to the Manchester Children's Tumour Registry 1954-2004

Abstract

We report a 6-year-old male with left-sided ptosis, aniscoria and an initially missed slow growing left-sided neck mass, which was surgically excised when he was 9 years old and confirmed to be a paraganglioma. Seven years later he developed recurrent symptoms and was found to have a recurrence in the anterior mediastinum. We also report on all cases of cervical paragangliomas registered with the Manchester Children's Tumour Registry (MCTR) for the 50-year period 1954-2004. Paragangliomas are very rare tumours in the head and neck but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neck masses especially when presenting with Horner syndrome. Recurrent symptoms and signs of hypertension herald recurrence. As these tumours can form part of a familial syndrome, long-term follow-up is necessary. Family members should be screened for early detection.