Posterior cervical haemangiopericytoma with intracranial and skull base extension. Diagnostic and therapeutic challenge of a rare hypervascular neoplasm.
Haemangiopericytomas are rare hypervascular tumors arising from pericytes. They may occur anywhere in the body, but posterior cervical location is rather uncommon. A case of posterior cervical haemangiopericytoma with posterior fossa and temporal bone extension is reported. Although the patient had undergone preoperative endovascular embolization and surgical resection on three separate occasions, control of the skull base extension was not successful. Following endovascular embolization combined with radiotherapy, the patient has been asymptomatic for 48 months. Angiographic features may help in differentiating haemangiopericytomas from other hypervascular lesions. Preoperative endovascular embolization is recommended due to the pronounced tendency for haemorrhage throughout biopsy and surgical procedures.
Musacchio
M
M
(1) Service de Neuroradiologie, Centre Hospitalier Louis Pasteur, 39 avenue de la Liberté, Colmar. mariano_musacchio@yahoo.fr
Mont'Alverne
F
F
Belzile
F
F
Lenz
V
V
Riquelme
C
C
Tournade
A
A
D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006393:Hemangiopericytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015192:Infratentorial Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*