Metastatic masseter muscle tumour: a report of a case

Both primary and metastatic malignancies of the masseter muscle are rare. We report a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the masseter muscle. It was incidentally found as a hypervascular mass in carotid angiography for delineating a recurrent metastatic brain tumour. Prior to surgical removal, intravascular embolization via the left facial artery was performed in order to decrease intra-operative bleeding. The tumour was removed with minimum damage to the muscle fibres by the extraoral method, followed by a transient lower lip palsy. Metastatic intramuscular tumours, which are assumed to be due to haematogenous spread, are generally a sign of poor prognosis.