Temporal bone hemangiomas involving the facial nerve.
OBJECTIVE
Hemangiomas of the facial nerve are rare tumors that can mimic more common temporal bone tumors such as vestibular schwannomas and facial nerve schwannomas. This article reviews the diagnostic challenges in the surgical treatment of facial nerve hemangiomas.


METHODS
Two case reports and literature review.


RESULTS
Early diagnosis and surgical excision of facial nerve hemangiomas can sometimes allow tumor removal with facial nerve preservation. In patients in whom the facial nerve needs to be resected to remove the hemangioma, primary anastomosis or cable nerve grafting can yield House-Brackmann Grade III/VI postoperative facial nerve function.


CONCLUSIONS
Complete surgical excision of facial nerve hemangiomas with primary facial nerve repair (when necessary) is the treatment of choice for these lesions.
Friedman
Oren
O
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Graduate Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Neff
Brian A
BA
Willcox
Thomas O
TO
Kenyon
Lawrence C
LC
Sataloff
Robert T
RT
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*