Successful Treatment of a Malignant Hemangioendothelioma of the Thyroid with Metastasis to the Lung. A Case Report

Abstract

The malignant hemangioendothelioma of the thyroid is a rare disease, which occurs mainly in the Alpine regions but not only there. It affects elderly patients with a history of goitre and has a fatal course in the majority of patients. This report describes the case of a 75-year-old man who suffered from a malignant hemangioendothelioma of the thyroid metastatic to the left lung. Treatment with metronomic doses of vindesine and razoxane and radiation therapy of the metastasis as well as the thyroid region rendered the patient disease-free. He received a maintenance therapy with vindesine and razoxane over three years. The patient survived ten years with a disease condition which is usually rapidly lethal. The reason to publish this case report is to remind people of a drug that has several amazing abilities and was largely ignored by the medical community. The drug `razoxane´ has not been on the market for several years. However, it could still be used again in the form of its racemic enantiomer `dexrazoxane´ which is approved as a cardio protectant in the context of a treatment with doxorubicin, or in extravasations.