Background
Hemangiomas are
benign neoplasms of
capillary proliferation that arise from a developmental anomaly where angioblastic
mesenchyme fails to form
canals. Most
hemangiomas arise in the
head and
neck region, either superficially in the
skin or deeper within endocrine organs such as the
parotid gland. Parathyroid
hemangiomas, however, are extremely rare, with only five cases previously reported in the
literature. Case presentation Herein, we present a case of a 68-year-old man with a
hemangioma almost completely replacing the right upper
parathyroid gland, grossly measuring 1.3 × 1.3 × 1.2 cm and weighing 700 mg, associated with
primary hyperparathyroidism. Conclusions
Parathyroid gland enlargement due to
vascular neoplasms such as
hemangiomas can mimic, both clinically and radiographically,
hyperplasias and/or
adenomas.
Surgeons need to be aware of the presence of this entity and should consider it in the
differential diagnosis of
hyperparathyroidism or
parathyroid gland enlargement.