Epithelioid hemangio-endothelioma (EHE) in NETSARC: The nationwide series of 267 patients over 12 years

EPITHELIOID HEMANGIOENDOTHELIOMA

A NATIONWIDE STUDY: Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an ultrarare sarcoma whose natural history and treatment is not well defined. We report on the presentation and outcome of 267 patients with EHE in the NETSARC+ network since 2010 in France.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

NETSARC (netsarc.org) is a network of 26 reference sarcoma centres with specialised multidisciplinary tumour boards (MDTB), funded by the French National Cancer Institute (NCI), Institut National du Cancer (INCA). Since 2010, presentation to an MDTB and second pathological review are mandatory for sarcoma patients. Patients' characteristics are collected in a nationwide database regularly monitored with stable incidence since 2013. The characteristics of patients with EHE at diagnosis are presented as well as progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and outcome under treatment.

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixty-seven patients with EHE were included in the NETSARC+ database since 2010. Median age in the series was 51 (range 10-90) years, 58% were women. Median tumour size was 37 mm (4-220). Forty-eight percent, 42%, and 10% were visceral, soft parts, or bone primaries. The most frequent sites were liver (28%), lung (13%). 40% were reported to have systemic (i.e. multifocal or metastatic disease) at diagnosis. With a median follow-up of 20 months, OS and PFS rates at 24 months were 82% and 67%, with 10-year projected OS and PFS of 62% and 21% respectively. Male and M+ patients at diagnosis had a significantly worse OS, but not PFS. Local treatment was associated with a favourable survival in localised but not in patients with advanced stage at diagnosis. For 23 patients receiving medical treatment, PFS and OS were 50.2% and 33.2% at 60 months were respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

EHE is a frequently metastatic sarcoma at diagnosis with a unique natural history. This study shows in a nationwide series over 12 years that most patients progressed but are still alive at 10 years, both in localised and metastatic stages.

Imaging characteristics and prognostic values of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma on 18F-FDG PET/CT

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a low-to-intermediate-grade malignant mesenchymal tumor. The diagnostic and prognostic values of 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to patients with HEHE have not been fully validated. Patient survival outcomes (including overall survival [OS] and progression-free survival [PFS]), lesions characteristics and semi-quantitative parameters, in terms of maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max), peak SUV (SUV_peak), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT of 20 cases with HEHE were measured and analyzed. A total of 310 liver lesions were detected (excluding the diffuse-type lesions in 3 cases). Most lesions had higher SUV_max in delayed imaging than in early imaging (P = 0.013). Patients with multiple organs involved had higher death rate (P = 0.022), higher progression rate (P = 0.020), shorter OS (P = 0.011), larger lesion SUV_max (P = 0.048) and TLG (P = 0.033) than those with only liver involved. The area under curves (AUCs) from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were 0.960, 0.949, 0.980 and 0.960 for SUV_max, SUV_peak, TLG and MTV, respectively, in predicting OS (P = 0.005, 0.008, 0.001 and 0.024, respectively). For predicting PFS, the AUCs were 0.791, 0.824, 0.857 and 0.813 (P = 0.036, 0.019, 0.010 and 0.024), respectively. Dual-time-point imaging may improve lesions detectability. Patients with multiple organ involved had worse prognosis. The higher SUV_max, SUV_peak, TLG and MTV of lesions, the worse prognosis of patients were found.

Clinical characterization and long-term outcomes in pediatric epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

There is a paucity of information about the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of pediatric epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE), a rare vascular neoplasm commonly presenting in adulthood. In our case series of 24 patients with EHE aged 2-26 years, the majority presented with multi-organ disease. Progression was seen in 63% of patients with a mean time to progression of 18.4 months (range: 0-72). Three patients treated with sirolimus achieved stable disease or partial response for >2.5 years. Longitudinal prospective pediatric studies are needed to develop standardized approaches to surgical and medical management.

Treatment and prognosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma based on SEER data analysis from 1973 to 2014

BACKGROUND

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is a rare tumor of vascular origin with an unknown etiology, a low incidence, and a variable natural course. We evaluated the management and prognosis of HEH from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program and changes in treatment modalities of HEH over 30 years.

METHODS

From 1973 to 2014 in the SEER database, we selected patients diagnosed with HEH. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, patterns of management, and clinical outcomes of patients with HEH.

RESULTS

We identified 79 patients with HEH (median age: 54.0 years; male to female ratio: 1:2.6). The initial extent of disease was local in 22 (27.8%) patients, regional metastasis in 22 (27.8%), distant metastasis in 31 (39.2%) and unknown in 4 (5.1%). The median size of primary tumor was 3.85 cm (interquartile range, 2.50-7.93 cm). Among 74 patients with available management data, the most common management was no treatment (29/74, 39.2%), followed by chemotherapy only (22/74, 29.7%), liver resection-based (13/74, 17.6%), and transplantation-based therapy (6/74, 8.1%). The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 57.8%. Patients who underwent surgical treatment had significantly higher survival than those who underwent non-surgical treatment (5-year survival; 88% vs. 49%, P = 0.019). Multivariate analysis revealed that surgical therapy was the only independent prognostic factor for survival (hazard ratio: 0.20, P = 0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

Resection or liver transplantation is worth considering for treatment of patients with HEH.

Bisphosphonates as a therapeutic choice for multifocal epithelioid hemangioma of bone: A case report

RATIONALE

Epithelioid hemangioma (EH) of bone is an intermediate vascular tumor that can be locally aggressive. The optimum management of multifocal EH of bone is not well delineated. We described our experience treating one patient with multifocal EH of bone in an effort to document the effect of bisphosphonates in bone EH.

PATIENT CONCERNS

In this report, a 53-year old male patient presented with back pain which was initially been diagnosed of multiple bone metastatic carcinoma by 18F-FDG PET/CT scan and bone scintigraphy.

DIAGNOSIS

CT-guided bone biopsy of ilium indicated that puncture tissue had irregular hyperplasia of thick and thin-walled blood vessels, immunohistochemistry revealed positive staining for CD31 and CD34, negative for CAMTA-1, PCK and EMA, which confirmed the diagnosis of multiple EH.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient was treated with 4 times of intravenous Zometa (zoledronate, 4 mg each time) with average three-month interval. Bone metabolic markers including serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) levels were closely monitored before and after use of bisphosphonates each time.

OUTCOME

BALP and CTX were significantly lowered following intravenous Zometa and the back pain improved with integrated therapy including bone graft fusion internal fixation surgery and vertebroplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

EH of multiple bones responded favorably to intravenous Zometa with improvement of bone metabolic markers. After 1 year on follow-up, the patient was doing well with no significant pain. We suggest that bisphosphonates should be considered in the treatment of multifocal osteolytic EH of bone.

The clinical features of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in a Han Chinese population: A retrospective analysis

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare indolent vascular tumor which occurs at liver, lung, bone, and so on. However, the etiology of EHE is evasive.These patients were enrolled at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2011 to December 2015. Retrospective analysis is done by demographic data of clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, CT imaging, histological, and immunohistochemical features in 9 cases in Shaanxi.Of the patients, 8 were females (88.9%) and 1 were males (11.1%). The age ranged from 34 to 71 years (mean 49 years; median 49 years). Anatomical sites of primary lesions were as follows: liver (n = 6, 66.7%), upper extremities (n = 1, 11.1%), sublingual gland (n = 1, 11.1%), and spine (n = 1, 11.1%). Metastatic disease was diagnosed in 5 cases (55.6%) with occurrence in lung (n = 4, 44.4%), bone (n = 2, 22.2%), upper extremities (n = 1, 11.1%), pleura (n = 1, 11.1%), and spleen (n = 1, 11.1%). Tumor size ranged from 0.5 to 6.8 cm (mean 3 cm). The most tumors were composed of highly cellular areas with small and prominent nucleoli in vesicular nuclei, and ERG (100%) was the most frequently positive in these cases, followed by CD31 (88.9%) and CD34 (77.8%) via histology and immunohistochemistry techniques.EHE is a very rare in Shaanxi. It is significant to find its clinical, radiological, and pathological characters, helping for EHE early diagnosis and treatment, reducing misdiagnosis and improving life quality.

Pathological characteristics of liver biopsies in eight patients with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

We aim to investigate the pathological characteristics of liver biopsies and their implications for the prognosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE). Clinical data of eight patients (5 male, 3 female) with HEHE were analyzed retrospectively. Expression of CD34, FVIII, AE1/AE3, Hepa-par1, GPC3, CK19 and the proliferation index marker Ki-67 were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The clinical pathological features and effects of treatment on prognosis were investigated. Among the eight patients, four did not exhibit significant symptoms, while four showed symptoms such as abdominal distension, aversion to greasy food and mild fever. Two patients had single liver lesions, while multiple lesions were observed in six cases, in which the tumor cells exhibited spindle, irregular or epithelioid morphology, with scattered, streaked and nested distribution. Individual luminal cells were also visible, containing red cells and accompanied by mucoid or fibrous stroma. All cases were CD34 positive, one case was FVIII factor negative, two cases were AE1/AE3 positive, Ki-67 staining exceeded 15% in two cases, and nuclear fission was visible in two cases. Patients with nuclear fission and Ki-67 > 15% died within 2 years after artery embolization, liver transplantation without relapse was observed in two cases and one case survived with the tumor. The other patients without cellular atypia, without nuclear fission and with Ki-67 < 10% did not relapse during the 2-5 years of follow-up. HEHE can be diagnosed according to hematoxylin and eosin morphology and immunohistochemical characteristics in biopsies before treatment allowing the selection of different treatment protocols based on pathological characteristics.

Synchronous Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: First Case Report in the Literature and Challenges

We would like to report the first case in English literature, to the best of our knowledge, of a synchronous hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as to address the current trends and challenges in the management of HEHE.An otherwise well 58-year-old man was referred to his local hepatology service with elevated serum γ-GT levels. Imaging revealed bilobar liver lesions consistent with HEHE, a discrete left lobe lesion suspected as HCC, and multiple pulmonary nodules. Biopsies confirmed HEHE with pulmonary metastases. After multidisciplinary team discussions, the patient was admitted under our team and underwent an uneventful laparoscopic left lateral hepatectomy for suspected HCC, which was confirmed histologically.As part of a watch-and-wait approach to metastatic HEHE, in the first follow-up (3 months postoperatively) the patient was clinically fine and the surveillance CT scan did not show recurrent disease.By presenting this case, we aim to raise awareness that this rare entity can coexist with others, potentially complicating their management.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma metastasized to the peritoneum, omentum and mesentery: a case report

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHAE) is a malignant vascular tumor derived from endothelial cell often misdiagnosed as Hepatic carcinoma on the basis of radiological features. Till now etiology of this rare curiosity is unknown but it is related with use of oral contraceptives pills (OCP), liver trauma, exposure to vinyl chloride and hepatitis. We herein report on a case which failed to be diagnosed by cytopathology, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patient was a 46 yr old man presented with abdominal distension for a month. Initial liver function test (LFT) was increased whereas renal function test (RFT) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were normal. His abdominal ultrasound revealed multiple hypoechoic nodules and multiple liver calcifications. Subsequently laparoscopic omental biopsy and Ultrasound guided liver biopsy was done showing the neoplastic cells scattered in fibrous stroma. The immunohistochemistry for endothelial tumor cells stained positive for Vimentin (+++), CD10 (+++), CD34 (++), CD31 (+), Factor VIII antigen (focal) (+) and low proliferative activity for ki-67. Our case is very interesting in which patient admitted with nonspecific symptoms of abdominal pain and diagnosed to be a Malignant Hepatic EHAE metastasized to the peritoneum, omentum and mesentery. The patient was on thalidomide 50 mg/day and increased to 100 mg/day. 5-Flurouracil (FU) intraperitoneal chemotherapy and other symptomatic and supportive treatment was given to the patient. Our case highlights on the importance of immunohistopathological diagnosis, compare the radiological findings of this disease and discuss the treatment strategy with review of available literature.

[Malignant vascular tumors of the vulva]

Due to the increased vascularity as well as the unique anatomical structure, vascular lesions, which occur in the female reproductive system are common observed and diverse by their morphology. The majority of them are benign, including vascular malformations, lesions due to vascular hyperplasia, tumors with significant vascular component and others. Malignant vascular tumors are rare in the area of the vulva accounting about 1% of all vulvar lesions with vascular origin. Kaposi sarcoma, epithelioid hemangioepithelioma and epithelioid angiosarcoma have been reported with vulvar localization. With a view to their rare incidence, nonspecific clinical manifestation and aggressive behavior associated with high mortality, we present the most common malignant tumors of vascular origin arising in the vulva, as we emphasize on their epidemiology and clinical features, differential diagnosis and therapeutic algorithms for this rare type of malignancies.

Two-stage treatment with hepatectomy and carbon-ion radiotherapy for multiple hepatic epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is a rare neoplasm of vascular origin with variable malignant potential. Because most patients with this condition have multiple bilobar lesions, liver transplantation is the standard treatment, and hepatectomy is much less frequently indicated. We describe a case of a 35-year-old woman with unresectable multiple bilobar HEH successfully treated by combination treatment with hepatectomy and carbon-ion radiotherapy. This case is very meaningful since it demonstrated the effectiveness of carbon-ion radiotherapy for HEH and the possibility of expanding the curative treatment options for multiple bilobar hepatic tumors.

Primitive pulmonary "malignant epithelioid hemangioendothelioma" versus epithelioid angiosarcoma. A case report and review of the literature

We describe the case of a 56-year-old man presenting a primary pulmonary epithelioid angiosarcoma versus malignant epithelioid hemangioendothelioma still alive, without recurrence at nearly two years after the beginning of the symptoms. The primary pulmonary angiosarcoma is extremely rare, being reported only in a handful of cases. Metastatic involvement of the lung (90%) is far more common than primary pulmonary involvement (10%). Various predisposing condition for the development of angiosarcoma have been described. Early diagnosis is not common, because of the rarity of angiosarcoma in the lung and consequent low index of suspicion. Due to the paucity of cases, there are no defined treatment regimens for this entity. However, there is a tendency for surgical intervention in all reported cases.

A case of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma surviving 10 years without treatment

A 19-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of bilateral multiple nodular shadows on the chest radiograph. She complained of no symptoms. The pulmonary lesions were diagnosed pathologically as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. She has been followed without treatment for more than 10 years. Among all lesions, only two pulmonary nodules enlarged slightly, and it is interesting that one showed significant uptake in a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan. The current case suggests the clinical usefulness of an FDG-PET scan in a pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH) patient.

Hepatic epithelial hemangioendothelioma in pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular neoplasm that affects various tissues including liver, lung, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, bone, heart and the central nervous system.

CASE REPORT

A case of EHE is presented with lung and liver involvement during pregnancy. The patient had an uncomplicated antenatal course and delivery. Because of her asymptomatic presentation and the lack of safe and effective treatment during pregnancy, the decision was made to continue expectant management during her pregnancy. To our knowledge, this is the only published case report on this tumor with lung and liver involvement during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Expectant management of hepatic EHE is possible during pregnancy and can result in good maternal and fetal outcomes.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the head and neck: role of podoplanin in the differential diagnosis

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon vascular tumor of soft tissue and bone that may rarely occur in the liver, lung and the head and neck. We present five new cases of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the head and neck region diagnosed and managed in one institution in order to define the phenotypic characteristics, podoplanin immunohistochemical staining and the biological outcome. Podoplanin is a transmembrane mucoprotein selectively expressed in lymphatic endothelium and recently in some vascular neoplasms. The patients were comprised of two male and three female patients ranging in age from 4 to 71 years. The lesions were found in the gingiva, submandibular region soft tissue, nasal cavity and tongue, and ranged in size from 0.7 to 2.5 cm. All tumors manifested infiltrative cords and nests of epithelioid cells with occasional spindle morphology in a myxoid stroma. Immunohistochemical analysis of vascular and epithelial markers showed strong and uniform cytoplasmic reactivity for podoplanin and variable intensity and staining of CD31 and lack of cytokeratin staining in tumor cells. Surgical treatment included simple and wide local excisions. Of the three patients with follow-up, one developed lymph node metastasis and one had no evidence of disease 10 months after surgery. The patient with multiple recurrences and LN metastases was additionally treated with chemotherapy and is under consideration for radiation therapy. Hemangioendothelioma of the head and neck is: (1) a low-grade malignancy with a tendency for local recurrence and regional lymph node metastasis, (2) complete excision with negative margins is the treatment of choice for localized disease and (3) podoplanin may be useful in differentiating epithelioid hemangioendothelioma from non-vascular tumors.

Management of primary liver sarcomas

BACKGROUND

Primary hepatic sarcoma is a rare entity. The objectives of the study were to define treatment and long-term outcome and to identify prognostic factors.

METHODS

Between January 1981 and December 2004, 30 patients with primary sarcoma of the liver and 5 patients with primary carcinosarcoma of the liver were treated. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and actuarial survival were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 30 patients with primary hepatic sarcoma (10 epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, 5 embryonal sarcoma, 5 angiosarcoma, 3 solitary fibrous tumor, and 7 other types), 11 underwent R0-resection and had a 5-year disease-specific survival of 64%. Of these 11 patients, 4 had low-grade sarcoma and have not developed tumor recurrence. In the group of 7 patients with high-grade sarcomas who underwent R0-resection, both patients with angiosarcoma died within 11 months, whereas the 5 patients with embryonal sarcoma had a 5-year disease-free and disease-specific survival of 80%. Six of the 10 patients with an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma were managed without surgery, as they had diffuse, slowly progressing, or stable lesions; these patients had a 5-year disease-specific survival of 67%. Of the remaining 13 patients in whom R0-resection was not performed, there were no 3-year survivors. The prognosis for patients with primary carcinosarcoma of the liver was poor, with all but 1 patient dying within a year and no 3-year survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcome of patients with primary hepatic sarcoma depends primarily on tumor histology and the ability to achieve complete tumor resection. Improvements in outcome will require the development of more effective systemic therapies.

Primary malignant hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: a comprehensive review of the literature with emphasis on the surgical therapy

Malignant hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is a rare malignant tumor of vascular origin with unknown etiology and a variable natural course. The authors present a comprehensive review of the literature on HEH with a focus on clinical outcome after different therapeutic strategies. All published series on patients with HEH (n = 434 patients) were analyzed from the first description in 1984 to the current literature. The reviewed parameters included demographic data, clinical manifestations, therapeutic modalities, and clinical outcome. The mean age of patients with HEH was 41.7 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 2:3. The most common clinical manifestations were right upper quadrant pain, hepatomegaly, and weight loss. Most patients presented with multifocal tumor that involved both lobes of the liver. Lung, peritoneum, lymph nodes, and bone were the most common sites of extrahepatic involvement at the time of diagnosis. The most common management has been liver transplantation (LTx) (44.8% of patients), followed by no treatment (24.8% of patients), chemotherapy or radiotherapy (21% of patients), and liver resection (LRx) (9.4% of patients). The 1-year and 5-year patient survival rates were 96% and 54.5%, respectively, after LTx; 39.3% and 4.5%, respectively, after no treatment, 73.3% and 30%, respectively, after chemotherapy or radiotherapy; and 100% and 75%, respectively, after LRx. LRx has been the treatment of choice in patients with resectable HEH. However, LTx has been proposed as the treatment of choice because of the hepatic multicentricity of HEH. In addition, LTx is an acceptable option for patients who have HEH with extrahepatic manifestation. Highly selected patients may be able to undergo living-donor LTx, preserving the donor pool. The role of different adjuvant therapies for patients with HEH remains to be determined.

Primary peritoneal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon malignant vascular tumor of intermediate grade that occurs in a variety of organs and soft tissues. Diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is often complicated by the rarity of the tumor, and because the tumor shares many morphologic features with other peritoneal neoplasms. This report presents 3 cases of epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas arising as primary tumors of the peritoneum and reviews 7 previously reported cases to establish the demographic, clinical, morphologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of this neoplasm. These cases demonstrate that the light microscopic features are very similar to epithelioid hemangioendothelioma arising at more conventional sites, such as the liver, that immunohistochemical analysis provides a reliable approach for confirming or establishing the diagnosis, and that at least one endothelial marker (either CD31, CD34, or factor VIII) should be positive for a definitive diagnosis. This series identifies the characteristics of peritoneal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma that can be reliably used for diagnosis.

[Bilateral pulmonary nodules in an HIV-infected patient]

INTRODUCTION

Although infectious causes are the most common source of pulmonary nodules in HIV-infected patients, malignant diseases such as Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma must also be considered.

OBSERVATION

A 40 year-old man, diagnosed with HIV infection 16 years earlier and with a satisfactory viro-immunological control, was hospitalized for bilateral pulmonary nodules and a dorsal lytic mass. Bone and pleural biopsies showed a malignant epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

COMMENT

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon low grade vascular tumor. We report the first case in an HIV-infected patient. Bilateral pulmonary nodules are common in this malignant disease but are not specific. In a HIV-infected patient, such clinical presentation is associated with numerous differential diagnoses and must be interpreted in relation to the immune status.

CONCLUSION

In HIV-patients without immunosuppression, pulmonary nodules are often malignant. With the increased survival of these patients, these etiologies closer to those of non-infected patients.

Successful Removal After Radiotherapy and Vascular Embolization in a Huge Tentorial Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: A Case Report

Intracranial epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (E-HE) is an extremely rare, vasoformative tumor with variable biological behavior. A huge E-HE confined to the upper side of the tentorium has not been documented previously. Recognizing E-HE as a specific vascular tumor is important, and complete tumor removal guarantees long-term survival. Here, we report an intracranial E-HE of a 24-year-old woman with the initial symptoms of progressive headache over several years. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a huge tumor attached to the upper side of the right tentorium, with tentorial and tonsillar herniation, and secondary syringomyelia in the upper cervical spinal cord. The initial surgical attempt to remove the lesion was abandoned due to profuse bleeding from the tumor. One year after irradiation and 5 days after vascular embolization, the tumor could be removed totally. The final definitive diagnosis as E-HE was made by special immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study. The patient is free from the tumor 9 years after the second operation. Thus, E-HE is a highly vascular-rich tumor to excise, and we stress need for preoperative embolization and/or irradiation to remove huge tumor completely.

Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma of the Infundibular–Hypothalamic Region: Case Report and Literature Review

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an uncommon vascular neoplasm. Its intracranial occurrence is rare, and the literature review revealed only 23 cases (14 adults and 9 children). To our knowledge, this is the first case of EHE arising in the infundibular-hypothalamic region. A 53-year-old man presented with headaches and loss of libido. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a supra-sellar mass, which homogeneously absorbed the contrast agent. A trans-sphenoidal craniotomy and a biopsy were performed. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered due to intolerance to interferon. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a hemorrhagic tumor. Total resection is mandatory where possible, otherwise radiotherapy seems necessary. The prognosis of intracranial location has not yet been well defined, despite the favorable outcome noted in the majority of cases.

Chemoembolization followed by orthotopic liver transplant for epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare liver tumor with an indolent course relative to other hepatic malignancies. Over the past two decades, primary treatment for these lesions has been defined as resection for localized disease, or transplantation for diffuse and multifocal tumors. No published report to date has described effective pre- or post-operative adjuvant treatment for this disease. In this report, we present the first case of HEHE effectively managed with chemoembolization followed by transplantation, documenting objective tumor response to embolization. Furthermore, diagnosis for this lesion can easily be mistaken, directing management in erroneous directions. This case illustrates diagnostic pitfalls affiliated with the work-up of this tumor.

Pulmonary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma

We describe a case of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, previously known as intravascular bronchoalveolar tumor, in a 35-year-old woman with an initial diagnosis made by transbronchial biopsy. This is a rare disease, with approximately 50 cases described in the literature. All previous cases have been diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy. Although our patient underwent thoracoscopic lung biopsy, the diagnosis was initially made on transbronchial biopsy; to our knowledge, this has not been previously described in the English-language literature. We also described findings on high-resolution CT, both typical and atypical relative to previously published reports. This tumor can affect multiple organs. The prognosis is very unpredictable, with life expectancy ranging from 1 to 15 years. There is no single effective treatment, though spontaneous regression and response to chemotherapy and interferon are reported.

[Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. a case report and review of the literature]

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical features of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

METHODS

With a case report and review of the related literatures, the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, management and prognosis of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma were described.

RESULTS

The etiology of this rare disease remains unknown. Symptoms are scanty and usually mild; chest radiograph or computed tomography usually reveals multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules. Primitive lumen formed by a single cell is the pathologic feature. Immunohistochemical stains show that the malignant cells are of the endothelial type. There is no effective treatment for this disease and its prognosis is unpredictable.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is rare and often misdiagnosed as other pulmonary diseases.

Treatment of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone using a novel combined approach

Radiofrequency (RF) treatment has been used for a variety of malignant and benign conditions. However, treatment of a bone malignancy has yet to be reported. The authors present a 21-year old woman with multifocal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) treated by a combination of surgical excision, chemotherapy and four RF ablations. Follow-up radiographs of the RF-treated sites reveal no evidence of recurrent disease 71, 58, 49 and 33 months, respectively, after treatment.

Mesenchymal tumors of the liver

Primary angiosarcoma of the liver accounts for up to 2% of all primary liver tumors and is the second most common primary malignant neoplasm of the liver. Approximately 10 to 20 new cases are diagnosed every year in the United States and the prevalence varies from 0.14 to 0.25 per million. In an autopsy series from Chicago, one hepatic angiosarcoma was noted for every 30 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Primary hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: case report

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is a very rare vascular tumor of the liver. It usually affects adult women and presents as multiple hepatic nodules with mainly peripheral distribution. It poses special difficulties for clinicians in its diagnosis and treatment because of its non-specific clinical manifestations and findings on imaging, and it is easy to be misdiagnosed pathologically. Its clinical course and prognosis are variable but supposed to be intermediate between hemangioma and angiosarcoma. The primary treatments of choice are radical resection or liver transplantation. We report a 62-year-old man with right upper quadrant abdominal pain of several days' duration, who was initially misdiagnosed as having a liver abscess. Finally, HEH was diagnosed on the basis of positive immunohistochemical staining for factor VIII-related antigen in tumor cells. This case could serve to highlight the pitfalls in diagnosing this rare tumor. Increasing the index of suspicion and familiarity with the radiological and histological characteristics of this tumor would facilitate the accurate diagnosis and thus avoid unnecessary interventions.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the liver: a clinicopathologic study of 137 cases

BACKGROUND

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare neoplasm of vascular origin that occurs in the liver and other organs; its etiology is unknown.

METHODS

The authors analyzed the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of 137 patients with EHE of the liver in an attempt to identify features that might predict tumor behavior. To their knowledge, this article represents the largest series reported from one institution.

RESULTS

Patients were ages 12-86 years; 84 (61%) were females and 53 (39%) were males. They presented with nonspecific symptoms such as right upper quadrant pain or weight loss. Macroscopically, the tumors usually were multiple. They typically were white, firm to hard, and ranged in size from 0.2-14 cm. Histologically, the tumors were comprised of dendritic and epithelioid cells that often contained vacuoles representing intracellular lumina. The stroma was fibrous, with myxohyaline areas. Immunohistochemically, all tumors were positive for at least one endothelial marker (factor VIII-related antigen [FVIII-RAg], CD34, and/or CD31). Treatment modalities included hepatic resection or transplantation. Although the metastatic rate in this series was 27%, the prognosis is considered much more favorable than that of other hepatic malignancies. Twenty-six patients (43%) survived > or = 5 years; 2 patients were alive and well at last follow-up after 23 and 27 years, respectively. Twenty-six of 60 patients (43%) died of their disease, 1 of whom died 28 years after discovery of her tumor. In an attempt to predict behavior of the tumor, several histologic parameters were evaluated using univariate analysis. No significant correlation was found with mitoses, Glisson's capsule infiltration, or nuclear atypia. High cellularity was significantly correlated with a poor clinical outcome (P = 0.00012), whereas the association with tumor necrosis approached significance (P = 0.057).

CONCLUSIONS

EHE is a very rare clinical entity. The key to diagnosis is the demonstration of cells containing FVIII-RAg. The histology of the tumor, including nuclear pleomorphism and the mitotic count, are of no value in predicting clinical outcome. High cellularity most likely is the most significant parameter predicting an unfavorable prognosis in EHE because mitotic counts often are quite low in both low grade and aggressive tumors. Further studies are needed to identify the factors responsible for the apparent dissociation between the clinical behavior and biologic characteristics of this tumor.

Primary malignant tumors of the venous system in the lower extremities

Malignant tumors arising from venous walls in the lower extremity are uncommon. Histologically they are divided into two groups: hemangioendotheliomas of intermediate malignancy and leiomyosarcomas. This report describes a retrospective series of seven primary venous tumors observed in four men and three women with a mean age of 49.8 years (range: 18 to 64 years) who underwent surgical treatment between 1985 and 1995. The tumor was located in the superficial femoral vein in four patients, common femoral vein in two patients, and greater saphenous vein in one patient. A palpable tumor was present in five patients, localized pain in two patients, and metastasis in two patients. The histological diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma in six patients and hemangioendothelioma in one patient. Surgical treatment consisted of complete resection in six patients and partial excision in one patient. Venous reconstruction was performed in two patients and adjuvant radiation therapy in four patients. There was no operative morbidity/mortality. Median survival was 31 months. Four patients with leiomyosarcoma died from metastasis. Two patients with leiomyosarcoma and one with hemangioendothelioma are alive at 9 years, 16 months, and 9 months, respectively. Local recurrence was never observed after complete resection. The prognosis of venous leiomyosarcoma of the lower extremities is poor due to early occurrence of metastasis. Doppler ultrasound and MRI are useful to establish early diagnosis at the nontumoral stage. Improvement in the prognosis of leiomyosarcoma may justify perioperative chemotherapy before and after radical surgical excision.

[Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: disease course in 3 cases]

INTRODUCTION

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon vascular neoplasm, one of intermediate-grade malignancy. Cutaneous epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is rare and often associated with multiple site involvement.

CASES

Three patients with cutaneous EHE without systemic involvement in one case, with skin, liver and lung tumoral lesions in two others cases are reported. One patient is in complete remission after one year. The second patient is stable without treatment after ten years. In the third patient, alpha interferon given for one year don't produce effective results and the lesions do not progress without treatment after eight years of follow-up.

DISCUSSION

Cutaneous presentation of EHE is quite variable. After the diagnosis is done, systemic involvement must be detected specially in bone, liver or lung. Metastatic spread or mulitcentric origin of the tumor are a matter of controversy. The pathobiologic behavior of EHE is not clearly recognized. Little data are available regarding the results of treatment with alpha interferon.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of bone is a rare tumor of vascular origin. A series of 40 cases from the Mayo Clinic files was studied to define the pathologic features of this disease and to evaluate any histologic or clinical factor influencing outcome. More than 50% of the tumors were multicentric, with a predilection for bones of a particular anatomical area. In this series, patients with multifocal tumors did not have a better prognosis than those with unicentric disease. We could not predict the outcome of cases on the basis of the histologic features. Visceral involvement was the most important criterion in predicting prognosis. Resection is still the primary treatment for these tumors. Radiotherapy may be useful for surgically inaccessible tumors. Too few patients have received adjuvant chemotherapy to evaluate its usefulness in this setting.

Pregnancy after treatment of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. A case report

Pregnancy occurred in a woman who had undergone hepatic, cerebral and myocardial resection of epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas (EHEs). The overall course of her pregnancy did not seem to be affected by the prior EHEs, though the pregnancy was complicated by preterm delivery. The patient was observed to have elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP); a complete workup found no abnormalities in the fetus, and a relationship between the EHEs and elevated MSAFP was not apparent. Because of the unknown contribution of EHE to MSAFP, inclusion of targeted (level II) ultrasound and possibly amniocentesis seem appropriate to prenatally diagnose structural anomalies and ensure a normal karyotype.