A Case of Cavernous Hemangioma Detected in Adulthood

Abstract

Benign vascular tumors are rarely seen in the mediastinum and mediastinal hemangioma is the most common one among them. However, its prevalence is less than 0.5% among all mediastinal tumors. Mediastinal hemangiomas are typically seen in the younger age group. Approximately 75% of cases occur before age 35. These tumors are usually well-circumscribed and they rarely display invasive behaviors. Symptoms develop due to the compression of the neighboring mediastinal structures. A mediastinal mass in a 70-year-old female patient, who had the complaints of dorsalgia and cough, was totally excised by performing a thoracotomy. Pathological examination revealed a cavernous hemangioma. Due to the rarity and late diagnosis of the entity we present this case with its chest computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings. (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2013;51:197-9)

Keywords

• Cavernous hemangioma
• thoracotomy
• mediastinum