Skull Base 2011; 21(6): 385-388
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1287681
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© Thieme Medical Publishers

Normal Life Expectancy for Paraganglioma Patients: A 50-Year-Old Cohort Revisited

Jeanette de Flines1 , Jeroen Jansen1 , Reinier Elders, Maaike Siemers1 , Annette Vriends2 , Frederik Hes2 , Jean-Pierre Bayley3 , Andel van der Mey1 , Eleonora Corssmit4
  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 2Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 3Department of Center for Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 4Department of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
14 September 2011 (online)

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to assess the long-term survival of patients with a paraganglioma of the head and neck compared with the survival of the general Dutch population. This historic cohort study was conducted using nationwide historical data of paraganglioma patients. We retrieved a cohort of 86 patients diagnosed with a paraganglioma of the head and neck between 1945 and 1960 in the Netherlands. Dates of death were retrieved from the national bureau of genealogy. Survival after diagnosis was compared with age and sex adjusted survival in the general population, by means of Wilcoxon signed rank test and Kaplan-Meier actuarial survival curves. Although surgery had more complications in the studied era than today and the death of five patients with carotid body tumors caused immediate excess mortality, the survival of the followed cohort was not significantly reduced if compared with the general population. Paragangliomas of the head and neck do not reduce life expectancy.

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Jeroen JansenM.D. Ph.D. 

LUMC Department of Otorhinolaryngology

P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands

Email: jcjansen@lumc.nl