Intramuscular hemangioma of the sternomastoid muscle

Intramuscular hemangiomas of head and neck are uncommon benign tumors. They arise most frequently in the masseter muscle and may present a diagnostic problem. The clinical presentation is usually that of a slowly enlarging intramuscular mass. The recurrence rate is high following enucleation. A case of a rapidly evolving sternomastoid hemangioma is described which presented in unusual circumstances. The angiographic appearances of this tumor were diagnostic, and the lesion was subsequently resected completely together with a cuff or normal muscle.