title: Spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma in an HIV-positive patient.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma is rare.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Here, we report a case of spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma in an HIV-positive patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single case report.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 40-year-old known HIV-positive woman presented with a 6-month history of slowly progressive bilateral leg weakness and pain. Neuroimaging showed an epidural mass lesion, which was isointense on T1-WI, hyperintense on T2-WI, and homogenously enhanced with gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (Gd-DTPA), from T8 to T10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient underwent T8-T10 laminectomy and removal of this lesion. Pathological diagnosis was cavernous hemangioma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although soft-tissue tumors such as Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphomas have been well documented in association with HIV infection, this is the first reported case of spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma. This may be an incidental finding or perhaps a causal relationship exists, suggesting that cavernous hemangioma could be a differential diagnosis of a spine lesion in HIV-positive patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. masa-aky@sta.att.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Munoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015174:Epidural Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging