Natalia Tsotsiou, Athina Peponoula, Isidora Papitsi, Valentinos Sofokleous
We present the case of a girl in middle childhood who developed a painless, gradually enlarging mass in the mid-cheek area.
Facial nerve schwannomas arising in the accessory parotid gland region are extremely rare, and paediatric cases have not been reported previously. We present the case of a girl in middle childhood who developed a painless, gradually enlarging mass in the mid-cheek area. Radiologic evaluation revealed a well-defined lesion with imaging features suggestive of a benign neoplasm. A transoral surgical approach was chosen to avoid cutaneous scarring and minimise surgical morbidity. Complete excision was achieved without injury to the facial nerve or Stensen's duct, and histopathology revealed a benign schwannoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and no evidence of recurrence was observed during a 3-year follow-up, with the preservation of optimal aesthetic appearance and function. This case highlights the importance of including schwannomas in the differential diagnosis of mid-cheek masses in paediatric patients and supports the transoral approach as a safe and effective alternative to external approaches, even in this age group.