Abstract
We encountered a rare case of facial nerve paralysis caused by cavernous hemangioma of the facial nerve.
The patient was a 47 year-old man with a chief complaint of food leaking from the left angle of the mouth starting in January 2001. He was diagnosed as having Bell's paralysis, and he was treated with stel-late ganglion block (SGB). However, paralysis did not improve. Furthermore, MRI demonstrated a tumor in the left temporal bone. He was referred to our department on April 17, 2001.
The facial score was 0/40 points by the Yanagihara method. There was no sign of cranial nerves other than the left facial nerve. CT showed a soft tissue shadow in the attic.
Facial nerve schwannoma was suspected, and tympanoplasty was performed on October 16, 2001. The tumor bled easily. A solid tumor about 6mm in diameter was removed en bloc. Pathological diagnosis was a cavernous hemangioma of facial nerve origin.
When we diagnose facial palsy, paralysis due to a tumor should be listed in the differential diagnosis. Imaging is essential for the diagnosis.
