Primary tumor of the facial nerve: Diagnosis and management

Benign primary tumors of facial nerve are rare, difficult to diagnose due to their subtle and variable clinical manifestations and these are usually misdiagnosed as idiopathic facial nerve paralysis. A case of facial nerve sehwannoma in internal auditory meatus presenting as a tumor indistinguishable from acoustic neuroma clinically is presented here. Difficalties in patient assessment, inadequacy of diagnostic techniques presently available and surgical technique of the removal of the tumor will be discussed.