ABSTRACT
A four-month-old girl presented with recurrent low gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Abdominal ultrasound showed diffuse parietal thickening and hyperemia of the colon. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated diffuse thickening of the colon but also intense arterial globular mural enhancement with diffuse filling in the portal phase. Colonoscopy revealed multiple pseudopolipoid lesions along the colon which were histologically diagnosed as hemangiomas. The infant was diagnosed with gastrointestinal hemangiomatosis and was treated with propranolol resulting in complete resolution of symptoms. Teaching point: Although rare, the possibility of intestinal hemangiomatosis should be considered in the setting of rectal bleeding in an infant.
ABSTRACT
Two unrelated neonates were born with a large purplish congenital mass of the thigh and forearm. Both showed signs of heart dysfunction, and one of them had anaemia and thrombocytopenia. The imaging assessment of the lesions showed well-defined subcutaneous solid masses with an exuberant vascular component. Both were kept under surveillance and maintenance therapy. A progressive dimensional reduction of the lesions supported the diagnosis of rapidly involuting congenital haemangioma (RICH). RICH is a rare vascular tumour that presents as a congenital purplish bulky mass. The diagnosis depends on the clinical evaluation of the lesion and the imaging characterisation of its solid components and vascular network. RICH may be complicated by high-output heart failure, anaemia and thrombocytopenia. Despite its exuberant presentation, it undergoes involution in the first year of life; therefore, early invasive therapies should be avoided. It is essential to detect any dimensional increase, suggesting more aggressive diagnoses, such as kaposiform haemangioendothelioma.
Subject(s)
Hemangioendothelioma , Hemangioma , Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome , Neoplasms, Vascular Tissue , Sarcoma, Kaposi , Hemangioma/diagnostic imaging , Hemangioma/therapy , Humans , Infant, NewbornABSTRACT
Teaching point: Spontaneous perforation with biliary peritonitis is a rare complication of bile duct cysts which should be considered in a patient presenting with acute abdomen, ascites, and dilated biliary tree on imaging.