title: A case of a spinal epidural capillary hemangioma: case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal hemangiomas usually arise from the vertebral body. Epidural hemangiomas are rare lesions, and most reported cases are cavernous. We report a case of a capillary hemangioma in the thoracic epidural space.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 57-year-old male patient initially presented with low thoracic spine pain. A magnetic resonance image of the thoracolumbar spine demonstrated an avidly enhancing epidural mass lesion in the lower thoracic spine with extension into the adjacent foramina at 2 levels on the right side. The patient developed progressive myelopathy over the course of 2.5 years despite minimal radiological changes. Surgical treatment resulted in good recovery. Histopathologically, the lesion corresponded to a vascular tumor composed of vessels of various calibers with fibrous septa between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early treatment of this type of lesion should be advocated to prevent deterioration and permanent neurological deficits. Appropriate treatment appears to be gross total resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Guiot
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marcoux
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015174:Epidural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018324:Hemangioma, Capillary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome