[Posttraumatic osteolysing haemangiomatosis (disappearing bone or Gorham syndrome) (author's transl)]

After injury to the palm of the left hand in a 24-year-old woman, haemangiomatosis - taking its origin from the site of urinary - rapidly spread over the left arm, with partially disappearance of metacarpals II--V. Previous angiodysplasia of the hand or enosseous haemangioma could be definitely ruled out. Histological examination of the cavernous haemangioma gave no indication of malignancy. But the tumor spread to the axilla, without metastases. High-voltage radiation arrested the growth. Seven years later, there has been no recurrence, but the limb remains useless. Such cases have been reported as examples of the Gorham syndrome. A feature common to the condition is the sudden onset, often after mild trauma, with progressive haemangiomatosis and complete obliteration of the appropriate skeletal structure. The histological picture is of a benign haemangioma: metastases have not be seen. It is claimed that there is usually a spontaneous arrest of the growth. The role of trauma in its causation raises medico-legal problems.