Calvarial hemangiomas: Report of two cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Primary hemangiomas of the bone are uncommon tumors, accounting for less than 1.0% of all bone neoplasms. These tumors are mostly found in vertebral bodies. Hemangiomas are rarely seen in the calvarium, where their frequency is 0.2% of all bone neoplasms. Because of their infrequent appearance in the skull, vague symptoms, and absence of prototypical radiological findings, these tumors can be missed in many cases or may be misinterpreted as more ominous lesions like multiple myeloma or osteosarcoma. CASE DESCRIPTION We report two cases of calvarial hemangiomas: one with a single mass on the right sphenoid wing, acid another with two similar lesions on the right occipital and left parietal bones. The diagnoses could be established only by histopathologic analysis. CONCLUSION Histopathologic confirmation of the tumor is the definitive method for diagnosis of intraosseous hemangiomas. Radiological findings are not always characteristic for calvarial hemangiomas. Due to possible complications and the possibility of effective treatment, this lesion should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of skull lesions. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc.