FUNCTIONING CHEMODECTONA OF CAROTID GLOMU S - CHARACTERISTICS AND CONTRIBUTION OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING - 2 CASE-REPORTS

Two cases of carotid glomus chemodectomas with production of catechola mines are reported. The place of chemodectomas among the neuroendocrin e tumors called paragangliomas is recalled. Chemodectomas only very in frequently produce catecholamines (1 to 10 %). Magnetic resonance imag ing is superior to computerized tomography and metaiodobeuzylguanidine scintigraphy in the detection and the characterization of adrenal and extra-adrenal functioning paragangliomas of the orthosympathic system . Few data are available for the imaging of fanctioning parasympatheti c paragangliomas (chemodectomas). The two case reports illustrate the contribution of the magnetic resonance imaging in the detection and th e characterization of chemodectomas.