Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma arising in the ethmoid sinus of an 8-year-old girl with severe epistaxis.
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.
Birchler
Manfred T
MT
Department of Otolaryngology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
Schmid
Stephan
S
Holzmann
David
D
Stallmach
Thomas
T
Gysin
Claudine
C
D002648:Child; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology*; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006390:Hemangioendothelioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed