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. Study Design: 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. Conclusion: Complete surgical excision of facial nerve hemangiomas with primary facial nerve repair (when necessary) is the treatment of choice for these lesions.