Rapidly Progressive Periorbital Oedema: A Case of Cutaneous Angiosarcoma

Abstract

Angiosarcoma is a rare form of malignant endothelial cell tumour characterised by rapidly infiltrating anaplastic cells of vascular or lymphatic origin. We report an uncommon case of cutaneous angiosarcoma (cAS) manifesting as rapidly progressive unilateral periorbital oedema. Due to the acute onset of disease, the patient was initially treated with antibiotics for presumed periorbital cellulitis. The lack of response to conservative management raised the suspicion of a more serious condition, which eventually revealed the diagnosis of angiosarcoma through skin biopsy. As suggested by several previous case reports, the subtle manifestation of cAS made it a great mimicker of benign skin conditions. This case report serves as a reminder to the aggressive nature of angiosarcoma which can lead to marked facial swelling within several weeks. As the tumour was not resectable by the time of diagnosis, the patient was offered palliative radiotherapy.

Keywords

• angiosarcoma
• eyelid
• periorbital
• oedema