Haemangiopericytoma of the maxillary gingiva: report of a case

Abstract

HPC is an uncommon vascular tumour for which the biological behaviour is difficult to predict. In our patient, no recurrences or distant metastases were present at a 4 years follow-up.

Incidentally diagnosed haemangiopericytoma of the hard palate

“…Hemangiopericytomas are rare vascular neoplasms originating in capillary pericytes (1). In the 2002 edition of the WHO classification for soft tissue tumors, HPCs were sub classified into the group of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic soft tissue tumors (3). Similar to the case presented herein, HPC usually presents as a slow growing painless mass associated with only local symptoms.…”

“…Due to the lack of the typical clinical signs and symptoms, HPC can be easily overlooked. The diagnosis is made histological (3,7). Microscopically, HPCs consist of tightly packed cells around endothelial lined vascular channels, and electron microscopic evaluation is helpful in confirmation of the diagnosis (9-12).…”

“…It is a soft tissue tumor, derived from mesenchymal cells with pericytic differentiation (2), which have uniform, ovoid nuclei with indistinct cell borders and are located outside the reticulin sheath of the endothelium. (3) It has been suggested that these ovoid cells are intimately associated with capillaries and possess structural similarity to smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts (2,3).…”

“…HPC usually occurs in superficial cutaneous tissues or in muscle segment of the inferior extremities, retroperitoneum and pelvis (4). It accounts for 3% of all tumors in the head and neck (2)(3)(4). About 15-20% of HPC cases have been reported in the head and neck region (4), including: the orbit, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, temporal bone, anterior skull, ear, buccal mucosa, lip, floor of the mouth, gingiva, mandible, salivary gland, larynx and tongue (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15).…”

“…HPC of the oral cavity has been reported in the floor of the mouth, gingiva, alveolar-buccal sulcus, mandible and palate (3,(12)(13)(14)(15). It can occur in any age group, but the most affected age is the fifth and sixth decades (3). No gender predilection has been reported.…”