Epithelioid Haemangioendothelioma of the mandibular gingiva: case report and literature review

Malignant Vascular Tumors of the Head and Neck-Which Type of Therapy Works Best?

Simple Summary

Malignant vascular tumors are extremely rare tumors with variable clinical courses, and few data on their clinical management are available. Diagnosis is difficult due to their wide morphologic appearance. The intent of the present review is to demonstrate the current knowledge and management on malignant vascular tumors of the head and neck area. The mainstay of treatment for malignant vascular tumors is surgery, but radiotherapy and chemotherapy are also parts of the treatment concept especially in angiosarcomas. Targeted therapy, antiangiogenetic drugs and immunotherapy have been studied as new treatment options.

Abstract

Malignant vascular tumors of the head and neck are rare neoplasms with variable clinical presentation, wide age distribution, and variable clinical courses. The heterogeneous presentation of angiosarcomas and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma often leads to misdiagnosis and unsuitable treatment. While risk factors for angiosarcomas are previous radiation, chronic lymphedema, and exposure to arsenic, thorium oxide, or vinyl chloride, there are only limited and retrospective data available on prognostic factors in EHE. In both angiosarcomas and EHE, surgery is the mainstay of treatment. There is limited evidence regarding the role of radiotherapy in EHE, although EHE is considered relatively radiosensitive. In angiosarcomas, adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended according to retrospective case series. A standard medical therapy for metastasized malignant vascular tumors is lacking. Chemotherapy, which is effective in angiosarcoma, is mostly ineffective in EHE. Targeted therapy, antiangiogenetic drugs and immunotherapy have been studied as new treatment options. The goal of this review is to summarize the current data regarding malignant vascular tumors along with their diagnosis and management.

Maxillary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: an especially rare malignant tumor mimicking periodontal disease

Background

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an especially rare, low-grade malignant vascular tumor that, according to WHO classification, is described as locally aggressive tumor with possible metastasis and makes up 1% of all vascular tumors. EHE is characterized by the accumulation of round, eosinophil-infiltrated endothelium cells; with vacuolation of their cytoplasm; frequent angiocentric inflammation; and myxohyaline stroma. This tumor is usually found in the liver, lungs, and bones and is especially rare in the mouth.

Case presentation

We present an 18-year-old Caucasian female whose oral cavity lesion had been misdiagnosed as marginal periodontitis. The patient was treated improperly for 2 years until she was referred to a maxillofacial surgeon. The patient complained only about gingival recession in the palatal area of her upper-right-side 13th, 14th, and 15th teeth. The lesion’s clinical appearance was of locally ulcerated painless lesion that affect the underlying bone as seen in X-rays in the palatal side of the right canine and the first and second premolars. Patient underwent surgery for her present defect and reconstruction using allogenic bone transplant. The diagnosis of EHE was based on the bony destruction as seen in x-rays and in the accumulation of tumor cells that were 100% positive to CD31; CD34 and ERG to endothelial markers. During the 31-month follow-up period, the patient exhibited no clinical and radiographic complications.

Conclusions

With this clinical case, we demonstrate that this rare tumor must be included in differential diagnoses of periodontal pathologies to perform histomorphological examination in a timely manner, which could lead to correct diagnosis and adequate treatment.

Metastatic epithelioid haemangioendothelioma masquerading as periodontal pathosis: a case report

We present a non-healing lesion on the gingivae attached to the mandible that mimicked periodontal disease, and was refractory to local debridement and oral hygiene measures. Biopsy examination showed a metastatic epithelioid haemangioendothelioma. This rare vascular tumour is considered to be malignant and management is controversial, owing to the paucity of published data. Treatment was provided in a multi-disciplinary setting as a result of established pulmonary and musculoskeletal metastases. The patient opted for conservative management and close surveillance of the lesion, which continues to remain stable at the time of writing, nearly two years after the initial assessment.

Intraosseous epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the mandible: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular neoplasm that primarily occurs in the soft tissues of the extremities, with "intermediate" or "borderline" malignant biological characteristics and a propensity for recurrence and metastasis. Oral cavity involvement is extremely rare, with only 5 reported cases of intraosseous EHE of the mandible. Herein, we report an additional case and review the related literature.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 44-year-old man was referred to our institution with a 2-month history of left lower lip numbness and a 2-week history of painful swelling of the left mandible. He had received antibiotic treatment, which failed to ameliorate his symptoms. His medical and family histories were not significant.

DIAGNOSIS

Enhanced computed tomography revealed a poorly defined, 4.5 × 3.5 × 1.0 cm osteolytic lesion in the angle and ramus of the mandible, as well as an eroded lingual cortex. Histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of EHE.

INTERVENTIONS

Surgical resection was performed via segmental mandibulectomy and the defect was reconstructed using a vascularized fibular flap.

OUTCOMES

The patient did not exhibit signs of locoregional recurrence after 3 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraosseous EHE of the mandible is an unpredictable lesion with a relatively benign course; however, the few reported cases of this disease do not highlight any factors that can predict the risk of locoregional recurrence or metastasis. There is also no consensus regarding the optimal treatment for intraosseous EHE; however, we recommend extensive local excision with close clinical follow-up.