Haemangiopericytoma: current status, diagnosis and management

Haemangiopericytoma (HPC) is a rare tumour, characterized by unidentifiable light microscopic features. Despite first being described over 50 years ago, nothing much was known about this tumour until the early 1980s, when ultrastructural studies and tumour markers made it possible to differentiate it from other mesenchymal tumours. Advancements in radiology and the emergence of MRI technology helped surgeons in better planning. Pre-operative vascular embolization helped to reduce the menace of operative haemorrhage. Improvements in localization and delivery of radiotherapy, coupled with early diagnosis, has tremendously improved the treatment outcome of haemangiopericytoma.