Facial reconstruction after resection of masseter muscle sarcoma. A case report

Background: Sarcomas of the head and neck account for 2% of the tumors of this area, and represent 4% of all sarcomas. Their clinical manifestations are non-specific, being in many cases an incidentaloma. As prognostic factors the free surgical margins are postulated as the most important, emphasizing on the histological subtype, the degree of differentiation or size. The masticator apparatus is composed of a complex of bony, muscular, articular and ligamentous elements, in which the masseter muscle is included. The surgical treatment of malignant tumors of this region often requires extensive surgery. The following is a case report of resection of a sarcoma of the masseter muscle with fascio-cutaneous neck flap reconstruction. Keywords: Head and neck reconstruction, sarcoma, fasciocutaneous flaps.