Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma in multiple spinal levels without skin changes

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Vascular Malformations
• Pediatric Radiology

Background:

• Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare, locally aggressive childhood vascular tumor.
• It typically presents as a soft tissue mass, often with cutaneous lesions.
• Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP), characterized by thrombocytopenia and hemorrhage, is a known complication.

Observation:

• A 6-year-old girl presented with a KHE of the thoracolumbar spine.
• This presentation was unusual as it lacked both KMP and cutaneous manifestations.
• The spinal location is rare, with only six prior bone-involved cases reported.

Findings:

• The study details a diagnostically challenging case of spinal KHE.
• It emphasizes that KHE can occur in the spine without typical associated symptoms.
• This case expands the known spectrum of KHE presentation in pediatric bone.

Implications:

• Highlights the importance of considering KHE in pediatric spinal masses, even without classic signs.
• Suggests that spinal KHE may present differently than soft tissue KHE.
• Contributes to understanding the diverse clinical and radiological manifestations of pediatric vascular tumors.