Congenital Lateral Facial Teratoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Facial teratomas are uncommon tumours in children that distort the face and may be associated with functional problems. They are less common than cervical teratomas though they are often grouped together and considered an emergency due to their tendency to cause respiratory compromise. They tend to be large and cause cosmetic issues; hence usually noticed early and medical help sought promptly by parents. The close proximity of facial teratomas to structures like eyes, parotid gland, facial nerve, vessels and brain makes them challenging and requires a patient and meticulous exploration during surgery. We present a case of an 11 month old girl with left sided temporal teratoma. Well planning of the incision and complete excision of the tumour with careful sparing of the facial nerves and parotid gland yielded good result.