Maxillary haemangiopericytoma: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Haemangiopericytoma is a very rare slow-growing vascular tumour with a variable malignant potential, constituting less than 1% of all neoplasms. It may arise from any blood vessel and in any organ of the body. Primary haemangiopericytoma of bone is even rarer, constituting about 0.1% of bone tumours. The tumour is extremely rare in Africans and particularly in the head and neck region.


METHODS
We describe the case of a 66-year old Nigerian with haemangiopericytoma of the maxilla, who presented with a recurrent but painless jaw mass.


RESULTS
Surgical resection of this tumour is potentially bedevilled with the risk of torrential haemorrhage and high rate of recurrence. This risk may be substantially reduced by wide surgical resection with a careful microscopical examination of the resection margins and the institution of adjuvant radiotherapy in incompletely resected tumours. Chemotherapy has no known role in the management of haemangiopericytoma. Postoperative radiation therapy appears to be effective against tumour recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Even then, long-term follow-up is essential in all cases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this entity in an African.
Fatusi
O A
OA
Departments of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. ofatusi@yahoo.com
Owotade
F J
FJ
Ojo
O S
OS
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006393:Hemangiopericytoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery