While in bootcamp I came up with a tumor on the left massiter muscle of my face. It was painful and caused problems eating and things like that. I went to many different military doctors, even having surgery while at Ft. Gordon but I was never told what caused it and was also told that it would more than likely never return.
The issue I have is that it DID return and it's even worse this time. No one had ever seen anything like it and they can't tell me what is causing it. It isn't there all the time, it comes and goes. I haven't found any triggers that might cause it to enflame but I was told that tumors on the muscle don't come and go like that.
Is that true? Could there have been a misdiagnosis? Should I be concerned?

what does the tumor look like... (texture, color, temp., size?) let me know... it sounds like the exact same thing my baby is going through. Tanya

It gets to be about the size of a golfball but usually isn't noticable. It used to only appear now and then and when I made an appointment it wouldn't be there so no one ever took notice in it. It wasn't interfering (supposedly) with the glands but since I've had it I have gotten chronic cryptic tonsilitis. I don't know about the color since it's within the skin on the muscle (or so they say) and I haven't a clue about the temperature. It just feels like a cyst on my jaw. It is most noticable when I clentch my teeth unless it's really swollen.

I'm not sure exactly where on the jaw you are referring to, but if it is near the lower part of the ear it could be a tumor on your parotid gland. I have had one there for many years. It was aspirated and found to be benign but I have it checked yearly. These tumors have the potential to all of a sudden grow rapidly and turn into Cancer. Mine has swollen to golf ball size and then decreased but it is always there regardless, rather hard and about the size of a very large pea.

Peregrine

They told me that the tumor was on my masitor muscle, which is below the ear directly on the connection point of my jaw. They said it wasn't in a gland but it comes and goes... which I have read doesn't happen on a muscular tumor.

Originally posted by vintagegypsy:
They told me that the tumor was on my masitor muscle, which is below the ear directly on the connection point of my jaw. They said it wasn't in a gland but it comes and goes... which I have read doesn't happen on a muscular tumor.

My primary doctor didn't know what it was and chalked it up to just being a part of my jaw. It wasn't until years later when another physician referred me to an ENT that it was correctly diagnosed. Mine is in the same position as yours. You wouldn't know it was on the parotid gland because that gland isn't enlarged normally and cannot be felt. If you are concerned I would see an ENT. If you have the same thing as I, it will need to be monitored by a specialist.