title: Facial nerve hemangioma of the geniculate ganglion: an endoscopic surgical approach.
abstract: Facial nerve hemangiomas are rare benign tumors arising from the venous plexus surrounding the facial nerve. Surgical management of these tumors is controversial. The goal of surgery is complete tumor removal with restoration of facial nerve function and preservation of hearing, wherever possible. The approaches most used are the translabyrinthine and middle cranial fossa approaches. In this report, we describe the first facial hemangioma treated with an endoscopic transcanal approach, combined with a retroauricular transmastoid minicraniotomy for closure of the dural defect. A great auricular nerve graft was used to reconnect interrupted nerve segments. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a hemangioma of the first genu of the facial nerve. With magnification of the structures, the transcanal endoscopic approach allowed a radical excision of the neoplasm permitting hearing function preservation, with the possibility to work with a minimally invasive approach with respect to the labyrinthine block and cochlea. Compared to a middle cranial fossa approach, the transcanal endoscopic approach avoided labyrinthine block removal and brain retraction.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchioni
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: davidesolop@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soloperto
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Genovese
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Presutti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000601:surgery*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005155:Facial Nerve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005830:Geniculate Ganglion / Q000601:surgery*; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: CT scan; Endoscopic approach; Facial nerve hemangioma; Intratemporal tumors