Intramasseteric schwannoma in a child.

Schwannoma arising in muscle is rare. We treated a very unusual case of schwannoma originating in the masseter muscle in a 12-year-old boy, who presented with a 1-year history of a painless left cheek mass. CT and MRI revealed that the mass existed in the masseter muscle. It was extirpated under general anesthesia without postoperative sequelae. The whitish mass was solid and encapsulated, and pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma consisting of Antoni A and Antoni B areas. Definitive diagnosis of schwannoma before surgery is usually difficult; hence, histological examination during or after surgery is, in most cases, decisive. However, schwannoma should be considered in the preoperative differential diagnosis of intramuscular tumor, despite its rare occurrence, since postoperative neurological sequelae may occur.