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Paragangliomas of the head and neck are rare neoplasms presented as cervical mass, generally bilateral, that arise from chemoreceptors located at the carotid bifurcation (carotid body tumors), along the vagus nerve (vagal paragangliomas), and in the jugular fossa and tympanic cavity (jugulotympanic paragangliomas). They are typically asymptomatic at the beginning, highly vascular, slow-growing and compressing the surrounding anatomic structures. Only radical surgery is the curative treatment for paragangliomas. We present a case of a 62- year-old woman with a diagnosis of bilateral neck paragangliomas where surgical removal was judged burdened by excessive risk because of the size of the tumor.

A 75-year-old man underwent yearly follow-up carotid Duplex scanning after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), performed 3 years ago, because of the presence of a large atherosclerotic plaque at the bifurcation of left common carotid artery with severe stenosis (80%). A residual atheroma was present post-CEA with a small stenosis. His medical history was notable for well-controlled …