Glomus jugulare tumour with metastases to cervical lymph nodes

Glomus jugulare tumours are classically described as benign tumours with a long time course often measured in decades. Although these tumours may be l ocally invasive, most cases are histologically benign and metastases are ra re. The case of a malignant glomus jugulare tumour with a particularly aggr essive pattern of spread is presented. At the time of surgery, which was wi thin 12 months of the development of symptoms, intracranial spread and meta stasis to cervical lymph nodes had already occurred, demonstrating that glo mus jugulare tumours are not always benign.