Quiescent Volcano—Chest Wall Hemangioma

• Published in: Indian journal of surgery Vol. 79; no. 4; pp. 354 - 356
• Main Authors: Saldanha, Elroy, Martis, John J. S., Kumar, B. Vinod, D’Cunha, Rithesh J., Vijin, V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01-08-2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac Surgery; Case Report; Hemangioma; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurosurgery; Pediatric Surgery; Plastic Surgery; Surgery; Thoracic Surgery; Volcanoes; Chest wall hemangioma; Cavernous hemangioma; Fibroadenoma; Phleboliths
• ISSN: 0972-2068; 0973-9793
• DOI: 10.1007/s12262-016-1559-x

Chest wall hemangiomas are rare tumors that may originate within the soft tissue or from the ribs. Intramuscular hemangioma is infrequent, representing less than 1 % of all hemangiomas, and the localization in the chest wall is even less frequent. They are typically cutaneous in location, large, and poorly circumscribed and can be locally destructive. We present a case of a 34-year-old lady presented with firm lump 3 × 3 cm in left upper and inner quadrant of left breast well defined borders, non-pulsatile and restricted mobility. Sono-mammogram was suggestive of ill-defined lesion at 10 o’clock position. CT chest was conclusive of chest wall hemangioma. The patient underwent excision of the lump. HPE was suggestive of cavernous hemangioma. Cavernous hemangioma typically manifest at birth or before the age of 30 years. CT is more sensitive than plain radiography in detecting phleboliths, which are present in approximately 30 % of cavernous hemangiomas. Surgical excision would be treatment of choice. In this case, the site of the lesion was in the breast clinically mimicking that of a fibroadenoma which warrants hemangioma as a differential diagnosis.