A young patient with paraganglioma syndrome type I. An interdisciplinary challenge

: A 33-year old patient presented at our outpatient department with pulse-synchronous tinnitus in the left ear of several years' standing. Examination of the left ear showed a neoplasm at the base of the meatus in front of the ear drum. In addition, there was paresis of the right hypoglossal nerve and right vocal cord. CT scan showed multiple paraganglioma in the head and neck region. Molecular genetic screening analysis showed a mutation of the SDHD gene and thus the diagnosis of paraganglioma syndrome type 1 was made. In the treatment concept presented here the main goal was preservation of function of the left cranial nerves due to the functional loss of the right cranial nerves X and XII. This goal could be achieved by means of a staged procedure in collaboration with radiotherapists.