Spindle cell hemangioma: report of a case presenting in the oral cavity

Spindle cell hemangioma, formerly termed spindle cell hemangioendothelioma, is an uncommon benign vascular tumor. Presentation in the oral cavity is rare with only two previously reported cases.

We report a case of spindle cell hemangioma that presented as an asymptomatic mass of the buccal mucosa in a 44-year-old man.

The tumor was a well-circumscribed vascular proliferation of spindled to epithelioid endothelial cells. Tumor cells with intracytoplasmic vascular lumens were present in several areas. Larger, ectatic, thin-walled vessels lined by a single layer of flattened endothelial cells were evident at the periphery and focally in more cellular areas. The tumor was positive for CD31 and CD34.

Spindle cell hemangioma rarely presents in the oral cavity and needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of oral cavity vascular tumors to avoid misdiagnosis as a more aggressive vascular tumor.