Spinal Capillary Hemangioma in Infants: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

We report the case of 2 infants born with a lumbar dermal sinus tract and an overlying angiomatous skin lesion referred to our pediatric neurosurgery service for evaluation of a tethered cord. Both infants were born with a lumbar dimple and were found to have a large cutaneous hemangioma without neurologic symptoms. An MRI of the lumbar spine revealed an isointense mass in the dorsal epidural at L₄ with an adjacent mass effect and extension into the overlying soft tissues. The spinal cord also appeared to be tethered with a fatty filum terminale. We performed a lumbar laminectomy and laminoplasty to remove the mass and to release the tethered cord. Pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of capillary hemangioma. Several case reports describe spinal capillary hemangiomas in adults, but only one found in the literature describes a case in an infant. We provide a review of the literature of spinal capillary hemangiomas and support the practice of evaluating infants with cutaneous lumbosacral hemangiomas for underlying spinal cord abnormalities.