[Facial nerve tumours].
INTRODUCTION: Tumours originating in the facial nerve are extremely rare and their therapeutic approach requires the aid of specialists from a number of disciplines. AIMS: Our aim was to analyse the cases treated in our centre over a five-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the subjects submitted to surgical interventions to treat facial nerve tumours between January 1992 and December 1996 were evaluated retrospectively. Data recorded from all patients included age, sex, side affected, time prior to diagnosis, presenting symptom and symptoms observed at the time of diagnosis, previous history of disorders affecting the facial nerve and associated neurological symptoms. We also noted the location of the lesion, the surgical technique used, pathology findings, post-operative complications, length of post-operative stay in hospital, facial sequelae and surgical repair procedures used on the facial nerves involved in the intervention. RESULTS: Six cases, with a mean age of 29 years (range: 16-46 years), were treated. Three of the patients were males (50%). Symptoms of the disease included facial palsy (4), neurosensory hypoacusis (1) and tinnitus (1). All six individuals (100%) had alterations affecting facial functioning in the course of the disease. The pathological diagnosis was schwannoma in four cases and hemangioma in the other two. Neural grafts were carried out in three patients and some kind of deficit was observed at the end of the follow-up in all the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Facial nerve tumours are very infrequent. An early diagnosis is needed to diminish the facial sequelae following surgery performed to treat this clinical entity.