Pathology of Microvenular Hemangioma

Dr Sampurna Roy MD               2022 

Microvenular hemangioma is a rare, slowly growing, benign vascular tumour.

Clinical presentation: It usually presents as a solitary, asymptomatic, purple to red papule or plaque.

Age: Young to middle-aged adults.

Site:  Extremities, particularly the forearms.

Microscopic features:  

Histologically, these tumours are characterized by a proliferation of small-sized, irregularly branched venules with inconspicuous lumina.

The tumour has an infiltrative growth throughout the dermis. The backround stroma is desmoplastic. 

The flattened endothelial cells have oval to spindle-shaped nuclei and scant cytoplasm. The endothelial cells are surrounded by pericytes.

The tumour cells lack cellular atypia, pleomorphism, and mitotic figures.

Immunohistochemistry:   Endothelial cells: FactorVIII- related antigen and CD34 positive. Pericytes: Smooth muscle actin positive.

Differential diagnosis:  Early onset Kaposi's sarcoma- Eosinophilic globules are not present in microvenular hemangioma.

In the context of the histological similarity to a low-grade malignant tumour - early onset Kaposi's sarcoma, the awareness of microvenular hemangioma, a benign vascular tumour, is important.

Eruptive microvenular hemangiomas in 4 Chinese patients: clinicopathologic correlation and review of the literature.

Lack of expression of podoplanin by microvenular hemangioma.

Microvenular hemangioma.

Human herpesvirus-8-positive microvenular hemangioma in POEMS syndrome.

Microvenular hemangioma in a boy with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Microvenular hemangioma.

Microvenular hemangioma.

Microvenular hemangioma.

Microvenular hemangioma