Facial nerve Schwannoma resembling a parotid tumor: Case report

Facial nerve Schwannomas are benign tumors that originate from Schwann cells, with a slow and predictable growth, and that are generally asymptomatic. Only 9% of these tumors are located in the intraparotid segment of the facial nerve. We report a 26 years old female presenting with a mass in the left parotid region lasting four months. The patient was subjected to a parotidectomy. During surgery, an encapsulated tumor whose origin was in the seventh cranial nerve and associated to a lymph node was found. The tumor was excised trying to preserve the integrity of the nerve. The pathological diagnosis of the surgical piece disclosed a benign Schwannoma. The patient had a facial paralysis in the postoperative period.