Soft tissue hemangioma with osseous extension: a case report and review of the literature

Soft tissue hemangiomas are commonly encountered lesions, accounting for 7–10 % of all benign soft tissue masses (Mitsionis et al. J Foot Ankle Surg 16(2):27–9, 2010). While the literature describes the great majority of hemangiomas as asymptomatic and discovered only as incidental findings, they do have the potential to induce reactive changes in neighboring structures (Pastushyn et al. Surg Neurol 50(6):535–47, 1998). When these variants occur in close proximity to bone, they may elicit a number of well-documented reactive changes in osseous tissue (Mitsionis et al. J Foot Ankle Surg 16(2):27–9, 2010; DeFilippo et al. Skelet Radiol 25(2):174–7, 1996; Ly et al. AJR Am J Roentgenol 180(6):1695–700, 2003; Sung et al. Skelet Radiol 27(4):205–10, 1998). However, instances of direct extension into bone by soft tissue hemangiomas—that is, infiltration of the mass’s vascular components into nearby osseous tissue—are currently undocumented in the literature. In these cases, imaging plays an important role in differentiating hemangiomas from malignant lesions (Mitsionis et al. J Foot Ankle Surg 16(2):27–9, 2010; Sung et al. Skelet Radiol 27(4):205–10, 1998; Pourbagher, Br J Radiol 84(1008):1100–8, 2011). In this article, we present such a case that involved the sacral spine. Imaging revealed a soft tissue mass with direct extension of vascular components into osseous tissue of the adjacent sacral vertebrae. Biopsy and subsequent histopathologic examination led to definitive diagnosis of soft tissue hemangioma. While MRI is widely regarded as the gold standard imaging modality for evaluating hemangiomas, in this report we describe how CT can aid in narrowing the differential diagnosis when one encounters a vascular lesion with adjacent osseous changes. Furthermore, we review the literature as it pertains to the imaging of soft tissue hemangiomas that occur in proximity to osseous tissue, as well as correlate this case to current theories on the pathogenesis of hemangiomas. Radiologists should be aware that benign soft tissue hemangiomas demonstrate a spectrum of imaging findings, including aggressive-appearing changes to adjacent bone.