[Vascular sarcomas of the ethmoid sinus (hemangioendothelioma)]

Abstract

Vascular sarcomas (haemangio-endotheliomas) are tumours which are very rarely encountered in the facial mass. Only 10 cases have been found in the literature. Two cases are described: the first patient was operated on in 1968 for a localization in the left side of the ethmoid and presented 9 year later with a recurrence on the right side symmetrical with the first which remained apparently cured; a year later, there was a recurrence on the right then diffuse pulmonary metastases. The second case was that of a patient with an ethmoid localization cured by radiotherapy and surgery 20 years before, but presenting with a recurrence in the ganglia 10 years later and a parapharyngeal recurrence developing over the past 6 years. In connection with these two cases, the diagnostic difficulties involved in distinguishing these tumours from epitheliomas and sarcomas of the facial mass, which sometimes show considerable vascularization, from other vascular tumours, benign haemangioendotheliomas, glomus tumours and, in particular, haemangio-pericytomas, are described. The possibility of a long survival should be noted for some rare facial localizations: this is in contrast with the usually very rapid development of vascular sarcomas in other localizations.