Slow-growing venous malformation in a 92-year-old man, mimicking axillary lymphadenopathy.

Abstract

Objective: Venous malformations (VMs) are low-flow blood reservoir mass lesions with spongy or cystic venous lumens caused by dilation of the venous system vasculature. A VM is a congenital lesion that presents at birth and enlarges during childhood as the host grows. Subcutaneous lesions due to VMs are rarely diagnosed at an advanced age. We report a case of axillary VM in an older patient.

Patient: A 92-year-old man was suspected of having left axillary lymphadenopathy (single nodule, 23 mm long) on chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Seven years earlier, a chest CT scan showed a small, 13 mm nodule in the same area.

Results: On ultrasound elastography, the lesion did not appear hard, however, color Doppler imaging revealed abundant blood flow, suggesting a malignant lesion. Histologically, the lesions were consistent with VM.

Conclusion: VMs should be considered a differential diagnosis for superficial lymphadenopathy, even in older patients.