Pasricha, Rajesh

Abstract Vascular anomalies are disorders of arteries or veins which are further sub-classified as vascular malformations or vascular tumors. Vascular malformations are attributed to disorderly vascular morphogenesis, trauma, or hormonal imbalances. We present a rare case of a patient in their 30s who presented to the outpatient department with a localized post-traumatic soft tissue swelling in the temporalis region, which was soft and non-pulsatile with occurrences in periods of acute emotional stress, followed by spontaneous resolution when the same was negated by the patient. The diagnosis was established on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging and contrast enhanced computed tomography. We add to the existing limited literature on intramuscular vascular malformations of the temporalis muscle and highlight the effect of emotional stress and anxiety on vascular anomalies.