Intratemporal Hemangiomas Involving the Facial Nerve: Diagnosis and Management

Opacification of the middle ear and mastoid: imaging findings and clues to differential diagnosis

“…33,34,79 This entity is also commonly called facial nerve haemangioma. 34 Patient presentation can mimic an atypical Bell's palsy with facial nerve dysfunction, such as hemifacial spasm, facial paresis, or paralysis.…”

“…Although temporal bone meningiomas may contain internal calcification, their tympanic involvement is via secondary spread from the jugular foramen, internal auditory canal, or tegmen tympani. 33,50,79,82 Fibro-osseous disease ( Table 4)…”

“…34 Patient presentation can mimic an atypical Bell's palsy with facial nerve dysfunction, such as hemifacial spasm, facial paresis, or paralysis. 33,79 Even small (<10 mm) lesions may produce severe functional loss due to either pressure or a "vascular steal" phenomenon with secondary nerve ischaemia. 33,34 Histologically, a facial nerve haemangioma shows dilated vascular channels with no internal elastic laminae and possible internal lamellar bone.…”

“…Low T1W and T2W signal foci are seen with internal ossification. 79,81 The differential diagnosis includes facial nerve schwannomas, perineural tumour spread, or meningiomas. 8,33,65 Schwannomas, however, may exhibit a tubular appearance with a smoothly expanded nerve canal.…”

Diagnosis and treatment of cavernous hemangioma of the internal auditory canal

“…4,20,31 The clinical and radiological features of cavernous hemangiomas of the IAC make it difficult to distinguish the lesion from the more commonly occurring VSs and facial neuromas. 6 However, in cavernous hemangiomas of the facial/vestibulocochlear nerve complex, facial weakness and acoustic deficit are usually severe even when the lesion size is small. The signs and symptoms of retrocochlear hearing loss seem to occur more rapidly in cavernous hemangiomas.…”