Splenic hemangioma with thrombocytopenia and afibrinogenemia

Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome Associated to Angiosarcoma of the Breast. A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome is characterized by the association of a consumptive thrombohemorrhagic disorder and angioma occurring usually in children. In the present study, a case of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome associated to an angiosarcoma of the breast is reported.

Clinical History

The tumor together with the thrombohemorrhagic disorder manifested in a 28-year-old woman. The patient underwent mastectomy. The tumor recurred in the same site 2 years later. The patient died of severe anemia 8 years after the first appearance of the angiosarcoma.

Material and Methods

Tissues were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded; in addition, selected sections were immunohistochemically stained.

Results and Conclusions

A well-differentiated angiosarcoma was visible throughout the removed organ. A review of the literature showed that only 6 cases of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome associated to malignant vascular tumors have been previously reported. All these 6 cases occurred in adult patients. On the contrary, Kasabach-Merritt syndrome associated to benign vascular tumors affects children. This is the first case occurring in the breast.

Isolated diffuse hemangiomatosis of the spleen with Kasabach-Merritt-like syndrome

AIMS

Diffuse haemangiomatosis of the spleen is a rare benign vascular condition occurring as a manifestation of systemic angiomatosis or, less commonly, confined to the spleen. It is sometimes accompanied by severe disturbance of blood coagulation. The goal of this study was to characterize an additional case of isolated diffuse haemangiomatosis of the spleen and to determine the histogenesis of this lesion which remains obscure.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We describe a case of isolated diffuse haemangiomatosis of the spleen in which histological and immunohistological findings suggested the possibility of a malformative tumour-like lesion. The pathological cavernous vessels were distributed randomly through the red pulp, without continuity with sinuses. The endothelial cells expressed vimentin, factor VIII related antigen and CD34, but not CD8. Some cells lining the sinus lumen expressed CD68, lysozyme and myeloperoxidase. In addition, trabecular veins presented with intimal thickening. These results allow making a diagnosis between diffuse haemangiomatosis and other tumours/tumour-like lesions of the spleen, especially littoral cell angioma, splenoma and peliosis.

CONCLUSION

If diffuse haemangiomatosis is usually classified as a benign proliferation of endothelial cells, we suggest that diffuse haemangiomatosis, when confined to the spleen, could be a tumour-like vascular lesion. In this hypothesis, the aetiology may be hamartomatous or malformative as is suspected in arterio-venous haemangioma of the lower extremities. The histogenesis is still questionable and no definitive proof in favour of one or the other hypothesis has been reported.

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome

Eight infants with hemangiomata associated with severe consumption coagulopathy are reviewed; three died. The presentations and method of management are discussed. The varied response to different modalities of therapy initiated this report and led to a search of the world literature in an attempt to identify the pattern of response, if any, to particular therapy. From our own experience with two cases and from the review of the literature, it appears that radiotherapy alone or in combination with steroids gives a superior overall treatment in terms of reducing the death rate.

Platelets and neoplasia

Numerous platelet abnormalities have been recognized in animals with malignancy. Because platelets play a key role in hemostasis, it is vital that clinicians recognize those neoplastic conditions that are associated with platelet disorders. A review of these platelet abnormalities, their underlying pathophysiology, and treatment is presented in this article.

Splenic hamartoma, vascular type, with endothelial proliferation

Vascular tumors of the spleen have shown a wide spectrum of histologic features. We present the case history of a 65-year old woman with weight loss, anemia and thrombocytopenia associated with a vascular tumor of the spleen. Grossly, the tumor appeared like the red pulp of the spleen. On microscopic examination, however, a papillary proliferation of the endothelial cells which caused narrowing of the lumina of newly-formed vessels was seen. The endothelial cells further showed multiple cytoplasmic projections with few junctions under electron microscopy. In spite of the morphology the tumor proved to be benign. This appears to be the first ultrastructural study of such type of vascular tumor.

Chronic intravascular coagulation associated with chronic myelocytic leukemia. Use of heparin in connection with a surgical procedure

A women with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia lived nearly 12 years from the time of diagnosis. During most of this period she received no therapy, and marked cyclic oscillations in the white blood cell count were documented. The last two years of her illness were marked by a hemorrhagic disorder associated with hypofibrinogenemia, thrombocytopenia, increased plasma fibrinopeptide A concentration and markedly elevated serum levels of fibrin degradation products. The coagulation disorder was rapidly reversible on several occasions with heparin therapy. After treatment with heparin and platelet transfusions, the patient underwent successful resection of a large ovarian cyst with excellent hemostasis during the procedure. Postoperatively, the administration of heparin and platelets was discontinued and a large wound hematoma developed. After resumption of therapy with heparin and platelets, the remainder of her postoperative course was uneventful. The literature on the subject is reviewed and tentative guidelines are offered concerning the management of patients with intravascular coagulation who require diagnostic or therapeutic surgical procedures.

Ruptured angiomatous spleen presenting as a severe coagulation defect

A case is decribed in which spontaneous rupture of an angiomatous spleen presented with an acute disorder of blood coagulation. Splenectomy was performed after successful correction of the coagulation defect by the administration of blood and blood-products. The presence of amyloidosis associated with myeloma may have increased the liability of the spleen to rupture. Indentation of the right lobe of the liver by the lower ribs produced a misleading appearance of the hepatic scintiscan.