Cystic angiomatosis: a rare cause of osteolytic lesions and pathological fracture - a case report

Abstract

Cystic angiomatosis is an uncommon benign multifocal disorder in which there is proliferation of endothelial lined vessels in bone. Angiomatous malformation results in progressive loss of bone. Bony cystic lesion affects the axial and proximal appendicular skeleton. Patients usually presents with pain. We report a case of 58 year old man who presented with pain and pathological fracture. X-Ray imagery showed multicystic lesions involving the whole length of multiple ribs. Rib biopsy showed the proliferating capillary network growing in to the bone marrow spaces associated with destruction of bone. Cystic angiomatosis should be kept as one of the rare differential diagnosis in a case presenting with multiple lytic lesions of bone.