Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the bone tissue

Spinal Cord Syndrome Due to Extramedullary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma of the Thoracic Spine: A Case Report and Literature Review

We report a 48-year-old male patient with spinal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in T3 and T4 who began with symptoms of paresthesia in the lower limbs and distal weakness of the right lower limb, back pain, increased limitation in walking, urinary incontinence, and constipation. A safe maximum resection was performed, finding residual disease during the PET/CT scan, so it was decided to treat with radiotherapy, and there was a good response to this treatment. A literature review of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the thoracic spine was done which showed a mean age of presentation of 41 years and a male-female ratio of 1:0.53. The main symptom was pain, which was present in 100% of the patients, and wide surgery was performed in 56.8% of the patients, intralesional surgery in 31.8%, and biopsy in 11.4%. A total of 46.6% of patients received radiation therapy, and only 6.6% received chemotherapy. The patients had an average follow-up of 38 months. We recommend that extension studies such as PET/CT scans be performed after surgical resection. This can serve as a follow-up with hemangioendothelioma epithelioma patients about metastatic disease or residual disease that will guide us in giving adjuvant treatments, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy, for better control of the disease.

Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: Incidence, Mortality, Prognostic Factors, and Survival Analysis Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

Background

Although epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare and aggressive vascular tumor, its demographic characteristics remain unclear. We used the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database to determine the clinical features, incidence, and prognostic factors associated with overall survival in patients with EHE.

Methods

The demographic and clinical data of patients with EHE were extracted from the SEER database (1975-2019) to calculate the incidence of EHE and survival rate in these patients. The Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the prognostic factors of overall survival in these patients. A nomogram and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were employed to predict the 3- and 5-year survival rate.

Results

The overall incidence rate (IR) of EHE was 0.230 (95%confidence interval [CI] = 0.201–0.263) per 1,000,000 person-years. According to the age-stratified IR, the highest age-adjusted IR was observed in patients aged 60–79 years (0.524 per 1,000,000 person-years, 95%CI = 0.406–0.665). The majority (30.8%) of the tumors were located in the soft tissue and skin, followed by lesions in the abdomen (28%), respiratory system (19%), bone and joint (8.6%), and others. The 5-year overall survival rate was 55.6% (95%CI = 32.8–73.5%). Multiple Cox regression analysis revealed that age >80 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 8.57, 95%CI = 2.32–31.63, P < 0.001), African-American race (HR = 2.52, 95%CI = 1.31–4.85, P < 0.01), “American Indian/Alaska Native” or “Asian or Pacific Islander” (HR = 2.99, 95%CI = 1.5–5.96, P < 0.01) race, and respiratory tumors (HR = 2.55, 95%CI = 1.37–4.75, P < 0.01) were distinctly related to worse overall survival. The calibration plots demonstrated good consistency between nomogram-predicted and actual survival. The area under the time-dependent ROC curve was 0.721 (95%CI = 0.63–0.81) and 0.719 (95%CI = 0.63–0.81) for the 3- and 5-year survival, respectively. For the convenience of researchers and clinicians, we designed an online dynamics nomogram to predict the survival rate.

Conclusion

EHE is a relatively rare vascular tumor, which principally occurs in the soft tissue and skin. It most commonly occurs in patients aged 60–79 years and its incidence has increased in recent years. Age at diagnosis, race, and tumor location may affect the overall survival outcomes.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone: A survival analysis of 50 cases from the SEER database (1992-2016)

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumor that may arise in bone. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the clinicopathological features and outcomes of osseous EHE in a large patient series, and to assess whether survival is impacted by demographics, tumor characteristics, or treatment factors. This was a retrospective review of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 1992 to 2016. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). A Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic factors. Fifty patients from 1992 to 2016 with a median age of 54.5 years (IQR, 37–67) were reviewed. For location, 46% (n = 23) of tumors arose from the appendicular skeleton while 38% (n = 19) occurred within the axial skeleton (overlapping EHE: 16%, n = 8). Of the cases with recorded treatment factors, 54.8% (n = 23) had surgery, 26% (n = 13) received radiation, 22% (n = 11) were treated with chemotherapy, and 26% (n = 13) had surgery plus radiation. The 5-year OS probability was 49.2% (95% CI, 23.6–70.6), and the 5-year DSS probability was 63.9% (95% CI, 33.0–83.5). No surgery (surgery: HR, 0.262; 95% CI, 0.07–0.9); p = 0.041) and age older than 50 years (HR, 4.117; 95% CI, 1.1–15.4; p = 0.035) were negative prognostic factors of disease-specific mortality after controlling for confounding variables. There was no association between disease-specific mortality and adjuvant or multimodal therapy. The prognosis of EHE of bone is less than favorable, and the 5-year DSS probability of 64% emphasizes the intermediate grade nature of this tumor subtype. Surgical treatment, when feasible, is associated with a better prognosis.

A Review of the Spectrum of Imaging Manifestations of Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum of imaging manifestations of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma across different organ systems and briefly describe its current treatment strategies. CONCLUSION. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare, locally invasive neoplasm with metastatic potential. Although most commonly occurring in liver, lungs, and bones, it can also present at multiple other sites. Because of its nonspecific clinical and imaging manifestations, it is often misdiagnosed. The possibility of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma must be considered in the presence of a slowly growing mass that invades adjacent structures. Imaging can help plan percutaneous biopsy, detect sites of disease, and identify poor prognostic factors.

Multifocal and hormone-dependent epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with osteolysis of the second cervical vertebral body: report of an unprecedented surgical approach by using autologous bone graft

We report the case of a 28-year-old female patient who complained of extreme neck pain when giving birth to a child. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine demonstrated an osteolytic lesion at the second cervical vertebral body (C2). In this presentation, we highlight a transoral surgical approach in order to prevent instability of this osteolytic lesion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such a route of access has been described for this tumor entity. A histopathologic examination led to the diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. During a follow-up period of 33 months, the patient had no complaints.

Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma of the Larynx

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon vascular tumor of the soft tissues. Several reports have described this tumor in visceral locations such as liver, lung, and brain. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study of a primary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma occurring in the larynx.

Difficulties concerning the differential diagnosis and clinical problems arising from surgical therapy in the laryngeal area are also discussed.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the spine: case report and review of the literature

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) has been described as a rare vascular bone lesion with histological features between hemangioma and high-grade angiosarcoma. Spinal EHE is a quite rare disease with few case reports and series reported in the literature. The tumor cells are positive for vimentin, CD31and CD34, factor VIII related antigen, ERG, and FLI1. Radiological features are not specific; it may appear as an osteolytic lesion. It can present as a multifocal disease in 40% of cases. No clear correlation with age and sex; however, it is slightly more common in males. Focal neck or back pain is the most common presenting symptom. The natural history of spinal EHE is unpredictable, and currently, there is no standard of care for treatment. Treatment options include preoperative embolization, and surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. A 34-year-old previously healthy male presented with mid-thoracic back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine revealed a decrease in vertebral body height at T5 with an enhancing mass. He underwent T5 balloon kyphoplasty and needle vertebral body biopsy. Results of the biopsy samples were non-diagnostic. Approximately 3 months after surgery, the patient presented with unsteady gait. A subsequent MRI revealed progression of the T5 compression fracture with cord compression. The patient subsequently underwent T4-T6 bilateral posterior decompression for epidural tumor and T3-T7 posterior instrumentation with pedicle screws. Pathology of the lesion revealed EHE. The patient was started on local radiation therapy (RT). On follow-up, 3 months after the second surgery, the thoracic spinal pain had improved dramatically. Our review highlights the diagnosis, clinical presentation, and treatment of spinal EHE. Complete resection is associated with good outcome. Radiotherapy has been used in partially resected lesions. However, the role of radiotherapy as primary treatment is not yet defined. Further studies should develop a treatment algorithm for this rare tumour.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the spine: results at seven years of average follow-up in a series of 10 cases surgically treated and a review of literature

PURPOSE

To review a series of ten cases with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the spine, that have undergone surgery to describe clinical presentation, results and complications associated with surgical treatment; a review of literature reporting the main characteristics of the cases already published has been reported.

METHODS

A review of patients affected by epithelioid hemangioendothelioma surgically treated by the senior author from 1995 to 2012 was carried out. Ten cases were identified and clinical and radiological characteristics, therapy, complications and survival were valued.

RESULTS

Wide margin was achieved in two out of ten cases, marginal margin in seven and intralesional margin in one case. Average intraoperative blood loss was about 2,800 ml. Reported complications were one case of cord injury, one of dural tear, two cases of massive blood loss, a case of reconstruction failure, a wound dehiscence with deep infection, a pneumonia episode and a deep vein thrombosis with pulmonary embolism. Average follow-up was 84.4 months. Two local recurrences, after 32 and 37 months and two deaths for metastasis, after 14 and 36 months, were reported. Although several chemotherapy protocols are available for the treatment of EH of soft tissue, they are not relevant for the bone.

CONCLUSIONS

Wide surgery is probably associated with a better prognosis. Indeed most deaths and local recurrences reported in literature happened after intralesional surgery or chemotherapy/RT alone. The presenting study suggests that the best approach to achieve long-term local control and a major survival could be wide surgery, nevertheless more cases series are necessary to verify survival rate.

Multifocal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma derived from the spine region: case report and literature review

Background

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumor with malignant biological behavior. It arises from endothelial cells, usually within soft tissues, and can occur in almost all locations.

Case Report

We report a unique case of a 25-year-old man who presented with sudden attacks of severe back pain followed by acute non-traumatic paraplegia. Emergency diagnostics revealed a pathologic fracture of the T7 vertebra with tumor tissue invasion of the spinal canal. Furthermore, multifocal metastases were found.

Results

To achieve en bloc resection, interdisciplinary surgical approaches were indicated. Despite multimodal therapy concepts, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as endovascular embolization, the patient died within 8 weeks.

Conclusion

Prognosis of EHE is unpredictable and mainly determined by its location. The lesions are potentially aggressive; therefore, en bloc resection should be attempted whenever possible. However, as shown in the literature, only 15% of patients are suitable for total resection.

Multifocal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the phalanges of the hand

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) of bone is a rare vascular neoplasm characterized by epithelioid endothelial cells and a variable biologic behaviour. The principal sites of occurrence of this osteolytic tumor are the lower extremity and the axial skeleton. Approximately half of the cases present with multifocal disease. The latter feature can be helpful in suggesting the diagnosis of a vascular tumor; on the other hand, it strengthens the need for a skeletal survey or whole-body MRI/CT. We report on the clinical, histologic and radiologic features-including CT and MRI findings-of EH in a case of multifocal disease of the phalanges of the hand, a very uncommon anatomic site of affliction.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the spine. Report of two cases

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) is a rare tumor of vascular origin. The authors describe two cases of spinal EH, one involving the T-10 vertebra and the second involving the upper cervical spine. In the first case the patient underwent resection of the tumor; this case represents the longest reported follow-up period for spinal EH. In the second case, extensive involvement of C-2, C-3, and C-4 as well as encasement of both vertebral arteries precluded safe tumor resection, and posterior occipitocervical stabilization was performed. The patient subsequently died of metastatic disease. The findings in these two cases underscore the difficulty in predicting the clinical behavior of spinal EH based solely on histological and clinical features as well as the uncertainty of the roles of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy in the oncological management of a spinal tumor for which clinical data are very limited.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the spine presenting as cervical myelopathy: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE

We report the first case in the literature of cervical myelopathy caused by progressive cord compression as a result of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the cervical vertebra.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

A 58-year-old man presented with progressive cervical myelopathy. Imaging revealed a vascular, expansile lesion of contiguous cervical vertebrae causing cord compression. The surgical pathology revealed epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a rare tumor not previously reported to present in such a fashion.

INTERVENTION

Preoperative embolization and a two-stage anterior and posterior surgical decompression and fusion procedure were performed. The high vascularity of this lesion makes surgery a formidable surgical challenge. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered to the residual tumor because of its potential for low-grade malignancy.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis relied on accurate histopathological assessment. The general principles of achieving cord decompression and tumor control are important. The literature on epithelioid hemangioendothelioma involving the spine is reviewed, and the tumor biology and the role of adjuvant therapy are discussed.

Intraosseous epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the mandible: a case report with an immunohistochemical study

Epithelioid hemangioma is the prototype of a group of vascular tumors characterized by epithelioid endothelial cells. Hemangioendothelioma of bone is a rare lesion that constitutes less than 0.5% of primary malignant skeletal tumors. We report and discuss a case of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma arising intraosseously in the anterior portion of the mandible in a 76-year-old woman. The case was treated successfully by wide resection. Radiographically, the tumor mass showed osteolysis and expansion. Histologically, the tumor showed invasive and destructive growth, although it lacked frequent mitotic figures and severe atypia. On immunohistochemical study, tumor cells exhibited characteristics of mesenchymal and endothelial origin, i.e., strong to moderate immune reactivity against vimentin, factor VIII-related antigen (F8RA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin type 1 lectin (UEA-1), and CD 34, but not against keratin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) or S-100 protein (S100). The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cell index was 27.5%. These pathological findings suggested a borderline malignant potential for this tumor. Thus, clinically, wide resection with or without dissection of regional lymph nodes is recommended.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone is a rare tumor of vascular origin. A series of 40 cases from the Mayo Clinic files was studied to define the pathologic features of this disease and to evaluate any histologic or clinical factor influencing outcome. More than 50% of the tumors were multicentric, with a predilection for bones of a particular anatomical area. In this series, patients with multifocal tumors did not have a better prognosis than those with unicentric disease. We could not predict the outcome of cases on the basis of the histologic features. Visceral involvement was the most important criterion in predicting prognosis. Resection is still the primary treatment for these tumors. Radiotherapy may be useful for surgically inaccessible tumors. Too few patients have received adjuvant chemotherapy to evaluate its usefulness in this setting.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone. A report of two cases and review of the literature

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is the prototype of a group of vascular tumors characterized by epithelioid or histiocytoid endothelial cells. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone is a rare lesion that constitutes fewer than 1% of primary malignant skeletal neoplasms. We describe two cases that illustrate the spectrum of radiographic features seen with this neoplasm, and also present its appearance on magnetic resonance imaging.

Epithelioid angiosarcoma of the maxilla. A case report and review of the literature

Epithelioid angiosarcoma is a rare vascular tumor composed of a proliferation of cytologically malignant epithelioid endothelial cells. These tumors are fully malignant and can pursue a rapidly progressive course. A case of primary epithelioid angiosarcoma of the maxilla is presented. Also discussed is a review of the literature with emphasis on the concept of epithelioid endothelial cell tumors.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the skin and femur

A case of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma presenting as violaceous nodules on the skin of the thigh is described. On histologic examination the tumor exhibited a proliferation of vascular channels lined by plump cuboidal and atypical endothelial cells with an epithelioid appearance. Lesions of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma were subsequently discovered in the adjacent femur. These tumors were successfully treated with chemotherapy and irradiation followed by a limb salvage procedure. To our knowledge, cutaneous presentation of this rare tumor has not been reported previously.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia: a case report with electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) is an uncommon vascular inflammatory lesion usually involving the dermis or subcutaneous tissue of the head-neck region of middle-aged women. Histologically, this lesion shows a florid proliferation of vessels lined by particular endothelial cells and an inflammatory infiltrate composed of lymphocytes and eosinophils. The fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of a nodular lesion in the retroauricolar region of a 18-yr-old woman showed spindle-shaped and polygonal cells with vesicular nuclei and deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm containing well-defined vacuoles in a background of eosinophils and lymphocytes. These features were consistent with a proliferation of epithelioid endothelial cells, and a diagnosis of ALHE was suggested. The histology confirmed the preoperatory diagnosis, and ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies further demonstrated the endothelial nature of epithelial-appearing cells. Because the clinical appearance of the lesion may mimic a large number of benign and malignant diseases, a preoperatory diagnosis of ALHE is rarely made. The FNA cytology may represent a simple and reliable method with which to study and diagnose proliferations of epithelioid endothelial cells.

Malignant epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the colon. Report of a case

Angiosarcoma of the colon with epithelioid and histiocytoid features, a malignant counterpart of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, was observed in a 72-year-old man. The disease first manifested as a right cervical mass, with the histologic appearance of malignant, undifferentiated, large-cell epithelioid neoplasm. Light microscopy of the colonic tumor disclosed angiosarcoma, with active erythrophagocytosis and positive immunoperoxidase reactions to lysozyme, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin. Ultrastructural features of the tumor cells were those of intermediate between endothelial and histiocytic cells. The disease took a rapid fatal course with recurrence, peritoneal dissemination, and massive peritoneal hemorrhage. The cause remains unknown.

Periosteal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with leptomeric fibrils

A case of recurrent periosteal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the right femur in a 66-year-old woman is reported. Microscopic examination showed epithelioid tumor cells with frequent intracytoplasmic vacuoles arranged in small nests or cords in hyalinized stroma. Immuno- and lectin-histochemical studies for factor VIII-related antigen and ulex europaeus I lectin indicated the endothelial nature of the tumor cells. Ultrastructurally, a few tumor cells contained leptomeric fibrils and crystalline filamentous aggregates in addition to showing certain features of endothelial cells. There seems to be no previous report of a vascular tumor containing leptomeric fibrils, which are often noted in normal striated muscle cells and their tumors. The bland appearance of the epithelioid tumor cells, poor vasoformative nature and prolonged clinical course differentiated this tumor from conventional angiosarcoma and so-called hemangioendothelioma of bone.