Spindle cell hemangioma (hemangioendothelioma) of the head and neck: case report of an unusual (or underdiagnosed) tumor

Spindle cell hemangioma (SCH), also known as spindle cell hemangioendothelioma, is a unique vascular tumor with combined microscopic features of both a cavernous hemangioma and Kaposi sarcoma. It almost exclusively affects the dermis and subcutis of the distal extremities. A review of the literature disclosed only 5 cases of SCH reported in detail in the soft tissues of the head and neck. An additional case of SCH manifesting as a submucosal nodule in the upper lip of a 29-year-old woman is presented. Because this is the second case reported from the same institution, it is suggested that SCH is an underdiagnosed lesion.