Esophageal Cancer With Neurologically Symptomatic Parapharyngeal Space Paraganglioma

Parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumors are rare neoplasms and can occasionally present with neuropathy. We report a case of advanced esophageal cancer (EC) complicated by a PPS paraganglioma. In this case, severe neurological symptoms were present, and treatment of the benign PPS paraganglioma was prioritized over treatment of the malignant EC. After radiotherapy for the paraganglioma, the paraganglioma markedly shrank and the neurological symptoms disappeared. Subsequent preoperative chemotherapy and thoracoscopic esophagectomy for the EC were performed without complication. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing EC with PPS paraganglioma. The surgical stress of thoracoscopic esophagectomy remains high, and the preoperative condition impacts both short-term and long-term outcomes. In cases with multiple lesions, it is essential to comprehensively decide on the treatment strategy, considering individual conditions and their influence on prognosis.