Cavernous hemangioma of the skull: 3 case reports

Intraosseous cavernous hemangiomas of the bone are uncommon tumors, accounting for 0.7% to 1% of all bone neoplasms. The vertebral column is most often affected, followed by the skull. Calvarial cavernous hemangioma is rare, comprising about 0.2% of all benign neoplasms of the skull.

We describe 3 patients with calvarial hemangiomas that were localized frontally (2 cases) and parietally. The diameter ranged from 2 to 3 cm. They presented with slowly growing mass, hard to pressure, with freely mobile skin above the cavernoma sites. Cranial CT scan showed osteolytic lesion with erosion of the tabula externa. Magnetic resonance imaging performed in one patient showed hypointense lesion on T1-weighted image and hyperintense on T2-weighted image. Resection and postoperative course were uneventful. Pathological examination revealed a cavernous hemangioma of the diploe.

Skull cavernous hemangiomas are rare benign tumors. The preferred treatment is complete tumor removal with normal bony margins. Sometimes, the classic radiographic appearances are not evident. Consequently, the diagnosis is most often made during surgical resection.