Parapharyngeal neurilemmomas are uncommon benign tumours. Two patients are reported with one tumour arising from the vagus and the other from the hypoglossal nerve. Access to the vagal tumour was accomplished with the aid of an osteotomy at the angle of the mandible. Theoretically these lesions can be enucleated with preservation of the nerve or resected and repaired with a nerve graft. However, these alternative procedures were impractical in both these patients and the explanations for this are discussed.