[Vascular malformations: the need for a multidisciplinary treatment. Considerations on a clinical case]

The case reported here is a paradigm of a complex vascular malformation with a therapeutic approach which involved both vascular radiology and surgery. The case came to our attention in 1999 and consisted in a tumefaction of the left gluteal region in a 14-year-old female. The lesion had previously been evaluated by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. The lesion was described as a dysplastic malformation with a high vascular factor. After angiography, we decided to embolize the mass. A second embolization also yielded no result, and therefore we decided to remove the dysplasia surgically. The dysplasia, however, was resolved only in 2001 after a third embolization. Because of the multiple types of symptoms, a multidisciplinary approach is required to obtain both a correct classification and treatment of the vascular malformations.