Large hemangiopericytoma of the pelvis--towards a multidisciplinary approach

In 1942, Stout described tumors which derive from Zimmerman's pericytes and suggested the term hemangiopericytoma (HPC). These tumors, which are often highly vascularized, pose difficulties in the surgical management regarding blood loss and complete resection. Therefore, preoperative management seems to be an essential part in dealing with these issues.

We present a 70-year-old female patient with a large HPC in the pelvis. Preoperative embolization of the tumor was performed, and 2 weeks after the intervention, we completely resected the tumor with minimal blood loss.

In which cases do we need preoperative treatment, especially emboliziation of hemangiopericytomas/solid fibrous tumors (SFT)? Although preoperative embolizations of tumors are now commonly undertaken, as for now, neither a clear statement nor a standardized approach has been given or developed. The purpose of this article is to provide our experience with preoperative embolization and to start a new discussion concerning a standardized approach.