Abstract
Hemangiomas in the internal auditory canal (IAC) are rare. A 38-year-old man presented with right deafness. He reported no facial weakness or spasm. Examinations revealed a tumor at the right IAC, and surgery was performed by translabyrinthine approach with facial nerve neurinoma as the pre-operative diagnosis. Intraoperative findings showed a vascular tumor of the facial nerve. Difficulty in removing the tumor from the facial nerve resulted in a subtotal resection of the tumor. Histopathological diagnosis was hemangioma. Unlike an acoustic tumor, which is the most common tumor found in the IAC, facial nerve hemangioma may cause facial weakness during early stages. Several mechanisms had been described for the facial weakness, such as a compression or infiltration of the facial nerve and steal phenomenon. Early surgical intervention is recommended, but the methods to preserve facial nerve function are controversial, if the tumor is unable to be resected completely.
