Rare Tumors (Jul 2009)
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the temporal artery presenting as temporal arteritis: Case report and literature review
Abstract
Hemangioendotheliomas are classified as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma(EHE), retiform hemangioendothelioma, composite hemanioendothelioma, Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (with or without Kasabach-Merritt syndrome), and Spindle cell hemangioendothelioma. The latter two types of hemangioendotheliomas usually follow a benign course, in contrast to the other types of hemangioendotheliomas, which are considered as a low grade malignant sarcoma with unpredictable prognosis. EHE's are rare tumors, mostly described in organs particularly the lungs and liver. Though endothelial in origin, EHE's reported to originate from small sized arteries are extremely rare. We report a very rare case of EHE arising from the temporal artery showing a peculiar presentation.
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