Multiple congenital cranial hemangiomas

Abstract

Though cranial hemangiomas are second only to vertebral hemangiomas in frequency, such lesions are rarely congenital and multiple. It is probable that the true incidence of congenital calvarial hemangiomas is higher than that reported in the literature, as they are unlikely to undergo imaging, most being asymptomatic and without a significant soft tissue component. We present a case of multiple congenital calvarial and skull base cavernous-type hemangiomas, diagnosed in a 4-day-old female, involving the right zygoma, maxilla, frontal and petrous temporal bones and contralateral squamous temporal bone. Surgical biopsy confirmed the radiological diagnosis as well as the concomitant multiple subcutaneous capillary-type hemangiomas which were identified clinically. No specific clinical syndrome or chromosomal abnormality was identified and the underlying cerebral parenchyma was normal with no intra-axial involvement. With conservative treatment, two lesions completely resolved and a further two lesions subsequently decreased in both size and degree of enhancement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of multiple congenital hemangiomas involving the calvarium and skull base. Despite this, the radiological features, combined with the clinical findings of multiple capillary hemangiomas, were characteristic enough to permit an accurate preoperative diagnosis. Osseous hemangiomas should feature prominently in any differential diagnosis of multiple hypervascular lesions, as they are common, more so when limited to an anatomical region, irrespective of site or age.