Multifocal cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp—A challenging reconstructive case managed with skin substitutes

Abstract

Abstract Background Cutaneous angiosarcoma (AS) of the head and neck is a rare highly aggressive tumor, often associated with difficult local control of the disease and poor prognosis. This article describes a case of multifocal cutaneous AS of the scalp, mainly addressing its difficult surgical management and challenging reconstruction and concludes with a review of the literature. Methods A 70‐year‐old Caucasian male was referred to our hospital with a growing scalp lesion initially suspected to be benign, but later diagnosed with AS. Results The patient had tumor recurrence and a difficult reconstruction for which dermal substitutes proved very useful. Conclusion AS can mimic a benign lesion in its early stages. Skin substitutes, namely dermal templates, can be useful to meet the complex needs of reconstruction and oncological surveillance of patients with AS.

Keywords

• sarcoma
• cutaneous angiossarcoma
• head and neck
• scalp
• dermal substitute