Intramuscular haemangioma in a child

Aim of the study: To outline the challenge faced in diagnosing intramuscular haemangioma of the masseter in a child. Intramuscular haemangioma is an unusual type of haemangioma and is oftentimes overlooked or misdiagnosed by health care professionals. Case report: Herein, we discuss a complex case of a 9-year-old girl referred to otorhinolaryngology department for unilateral preauricular swelling, initially treated as parotitis and finally diagnosed as intramuscular masseter haemangioma following imaging and biopsy. However, the patient had to complete several courses of antibiotics and fine needle aspiration, which was inconclusive, for almost a year prior to attaining diagnosis. Conclusion: We would like to highlight early imaging and image-guided biopsy especially in children to avoid delay in diagnosis and prompt management.