INTRAOSSEOUS CAVERNOUS HEMANGIOMA OF THE MANDIBLE: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Soft tissue hemangiomas are common benign vascular lesions, especially in the first decade of life. However, intraosseous hemangiomas (IHs) are very rare and comprise less than 1% of all hemangiomas. The vertebrae and long bones are common localizations for IH. They are rarely seen in the jaw and the mandible is affected 3 times as commonly as the maxilla. Here, a case of IH of the mandible is presented because of its rarity and diagnostic difficulty. <h3>Case Report</h3> A 60-year-old male patient was admitted to the Department of Head and Neck Surgery with a complaint of painless swelling in the anterior part of mandible. There were only 4 teeth in the mandible on physical examination of the patient's oral cavity. The patient was evaluated with panoramic radiography. Radiological findings were interpreted as an irregularly contoured, cystic-lytic lesion in the mandible that resulted in deformation and swelling in the mental zone. There was no feature in the patient's history. The surgeon decided on mandibular resection because the cystic-lytic lesion was suspicious for malignancy. Pathologic examination of resection specimen revealed blood-filled and thin-walled vascular spaces between the bone trabeculae. Focally intravascular papillary formations with fibrous stalks were detected. Mitotic activity, necrosis, and atypia were not seen in endothelial and stromal cells. According to pathologic findings, the case was reported as "intraosseous cavernous hemangioma." <h3>Conclusions</h3> The possibility of IH should be considered by clinicians and pathologists in cystic-lytic lesions of the mandible. Histopathology is the gold standard for exclusion of malignant lesions and for correct diagnosis.