Transcervical excision of intramasseteric cavernous hemangioma: A case report

Intramuscular hemangiomas (IMHs) of the masseter muscle are extremely rare in the head and neck region and, thus, are often misdiagnosed as parotid tumors prior to surgery. Excisional resection remains the standard treatment for IMH. Since these tumors are located on the proximal side of the facial nerve, it is important to preserve the facial nerve during surgery. This study reports the case of a 57-year-old male who presented with a progressive tender swelling on the right side of the face, which had been present for >6 months. Computed tomography of the neck revealed a heterogeneous highly-vascularized mass located in the superficial layer of the masseter muscle. The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection via a collar incision, and pathological examination revealed a cavernous IMH. During the one-year follow-up period, the patient exhibited a good prognosis, and one-year magnetic resonance imaging revealed no local recurrence.