Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma arising in the ethmoid sinus of an 8-year-old girl with severe epistaxis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Epistaxis is very common during childhood. It occurs primarily in boys and is usually self-limiting. Trauma and nose picking are among the most common causes. In general, epistaxis can be easily treated with anterior nasal packing or electrocoagulation.

METHODS:

We report a case of an 8-year-old girl with severe unilateral epistaxis.

RESULTS:

The bleeding originated from a kaposiform hemangioendothelioma arising in the left nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus. The feeding vessels originating from the maxillary artery were first embolized. The tumor was then surgically removed through a combined external ethmoidectomy and endonasal approach. The postoperative course was uneventful. MRI at 6 months after surgery showed no tumor recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS:

We report a previously undescribed cause of epistaxis in children, namely, a kaposiform hemangioendothelioma. To our knowledge, this is the first such case in the English-language literature. The differential diagnosis of severe unilateral nasal bleeding among the pediatric population should include the possibility of a kaposiform hemangioendothelioma.

• Authors: Manfred T Birchler, Stephan Schmid, David Holzmann, Thomas Stallmach, Claudine Gysin
• Journal: Head & neck (Head Neck) Vol. 28 Issue 8 Pg. 761-4 (Aug 2006) ISSN: 1043-3074 [Print] United States
• PMID: 16721737 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Child
• Epistaxis (etiology)
• Ethmoid Sinus (pathology)
• Female
• Hemangioendothelioma (complications, diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery)
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms (complications, diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed