Q: In the Phantom of the Opera there is a clue as to whether his facial deformity was a vascular malformation or a hemangioma?
A: Erik, (the phantom) reveals that his deformity was "present at birth". While "infantile hemangiomas are present at birth, usually there are minimal findings at birth and they undergo a proliferative (and hopefully an involutive) phase. Venous malformations and capillary malformation are always "present at birth". The phantom may have had a capillary malformation (CM) (port wine stain) or even a CM associated with Stuge-Weber syndrome.
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/health-library/vascular-malformations-and-hemangiomas
Phineas Gage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage
patient “HM” (Henry Molaison) had resection of bilateral medial temporal lobes as a treatment for seizures, he then lost the ability to form new memories. He became the subject of academic study.
Recent book on HM "Permanent Present Tense by Suzanne Corkin"
(On 10/15/2011 I saw a play at MIT (the year of their150 th birthday https://breakfast.mit.edu/networks/classes/tech-reunions-2011/2011-highlights ) based on HM and heard a presentation by John Gabrieli of MIT. As a graduate student, he worked with HM)
They worked in the Dr. Suess book, (One fish, two fish red fish, blue fish )book
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Molaison
Interesting related story courtesy of Michael Starc '15
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/30/an-artist-with-amnesia
Other links
https://dianerehm.org/shows/2016-08-03/luke-dittrich-patient-h-m-memory-madness-and-family-secrets