Malignant paraganglioma of the vagus nerve: diagnostic and therapeutic strategies-a case report.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Vagal paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors of the parapharyngeal space, with a small subset exhibiting malignant behavior. Their diagnosis and management remain challenging owing to anatomical complexity and risk of cranial nerve morbidity.

Case presentation

We report a 46-year-old Maghrebine woman presenting with severe dysphagia and a right lateral cervical mass. Imaging revealed a 40.2 × 40 × 20.6 mm right poststyloid parapharyngeal mass. Surgical excision was performed. Histopathology confirmed metastatic paraganglioma with lymph node involvement, establishing malignancy by current criteria. The patient was referred for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Conclusion

Malignant vagal paragangliomas require a multidisciplinary approach combining surgery a

SUBMITTER: Karim M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12577277 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature