Preoperative Chemotherapy to Salvage the Hand in a Case of Giant Infantile Hemangiopericytoma

• Published in: The Journal of hand surgery (American ed.) Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 995 - 998
• Main Authors: Schneider, Lisa F., MD, Gardner, Sharon L., MD, Sharma, Sheel, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-06-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amputation; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Hand; hand salvage; Hemangiopericytoma; Hemangiopericytoma - diagnosis; Hemangiopericytoma - drug therapy; Hemangiopericytoma - pathology; Hemangiopericytoma - surgery; Humans; Infant; Limb Salvage - methods; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical sciences; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Orthopedics; pediatric hand tumor; Preoperative Care; Vascular Neoplasms - diagnosis; Vascular Neoplasms - drug therapy; Vascular Neoplasms - pathology; Vascular Neoplasms - surgery; hand salvage; pediatric hand tumor; Hemangiopericytoma; Human; Pediatrics; Cardiovascular disease; Hand; Vascular disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Orthopedics; Benign neoplasm; Preoperative; Child
• ISSN: 0363-5023; 1531-6564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2010.03.007

Hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is a rare vascular tumor arising from contractile cells around blood vessels, with the potential for malignant degeneration. Up to 10% of HPC occurs in children. Standard therapy for this tumor is surgical excision. We report the case of a 6-month-old infant with giant HPC involving the hand. Chemotherapy resulted in a decrease in tumor size, allowing for salvage of most of the hand and fingers. Preoperative chemotherapy should be considered in the care of HPC tumors involving the upper extremity in children.