It is important to remember that facial nerve tumours are extremely rare; they can be mistaken for tumours that grow on the acoustic nerve called vestibular schwannomas. The most common types of tumours or growths forming on the facial nerve are schwannomas and haemangiomas.
(1.) A facial nerve schwannoma is a growth made of schwann cells which form part of the insulating sheath around the nerve.
(2.) A facial nerve haemangioma is a growth made of blood vessels.
Facial nerve tumours are almost always benign, which means they are not cancerous; however they can still cause problems.
What are the symptoms of a facial nerve tumour?
Symptoms will vary according to the location of the tumour along the length of the facial nerve. Some tumours may develop within the parotid gland (salivary gland in the cheek), others may develop further back and present with slightly different symptoms. Below is a short list of possible symptoms:
(1.) Facial twitching
(2.) Slow development of a facial weakness over a period of weeks
(3.) Hearing loss may be present depending on the location of the tumour.
(4.) Dizziness or balance problems
(5.) Recurring one-sided facial weakness which gets better and then returns.