Intrathymic Hemagioma: A Challenging Case Report with Special Focus on the Importance of Its Multidisciplinary Approach.

Abstract

Mediastinal hemangiomas, particularly those of thymic origin, are rare phenomena. Due to its rarity, this pathologic condition is not characterized as related to the angiogenic profile of hemangioma endothelial cells. The diagnosis is challenging clinically and radiologically, and biopsies may not yield a definitive answer. Surgical resection offers the material for histologic diagnosis, relieves symptoms, and has a favorable long-term prognosis for such benign tumors. Sometimes, such benign tumors may have aggressive behavior and repeated recurrences but the causes responsible for this unpredictable evolution are not actually known. A case of intrathymic hemangioma diagnosed in a 16-year-old girl is presented here. We focused equally on a multidisciplinary approach to this challenging diagnosis but also on the characterization of the hemangioma endothelial cells profile not previously performed for such type of vascular anomalies. To define an antibodies panel for the evaluation of intrathymic hemangiomas may help in the full characterization of this rare vascular lesion, and subsequently focus on the new therapeutic targets which may be applied for cases with aggressive behavior.