Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
Massive intratumor hemorrhage in facial plexiform neurofibroma
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Background:
Plexiform neurofibromatosis is a feature of von Recklinghausen's disease. Head and neck lesions may produce varying degrees of cosmetic and functional deformity. However, life-threatening hemorrhage into facial plexiform neurofibromas has not been previously reported.
Method:
We report two patients with von Recklinghausen's disease who experienced massive hemorrhage into facial neurofibromas, one following a blunt injury and the other without a known initiating event.
Results:
Conservative management did not stop the hemorrhage into facial neurofibromas in either instance. Surgical exploration was mandated for hemorrhage control and evacuation of blood clots. Hemostasis was attained by a combination of hypotensive anesthesia and chromic catgut suture ligatures.
Conclusions:
These case reports demonstrate a potentially lethal complication in patients with facial plexiform neurofibroma. Where a competent and experienced interventional neuroradiologist is not available, surgical exploration should be undertaken to control bleeding.
