Sclerosing hemangioma with multifocal pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and tumorlets

Abstract

Sclerosing hemangioma (SH) of the lung is a rare primary pulmonary neoplasm and is thought to be benign. Although SH was originally considered to be a variant of a hemangioma and was suggested to be of mesenchymal, mesothelial, endothelial, and neuroendocrine origin, there is now consensus that SH is derived from primitive respiratory epithelium. Pulmonary neuroendocrine cell (PNEC) hyperplasia is considered to be a reactive process associated with regeneration of chronically injured airways or alveoli, such as in lung abscesses, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We report a rare case of SH combined with PNEC hyperplasia and tumorlets in a 62-year-old woman. Further studies on the relationship between the histogenesis of SH and PNEC hyperplasia or tumorlets are needed.