PRENATAL ASPECTS OF GIANT FETAL CRANIAL HEMANGIOENDOTHELIOMA

A case of a large vascular lesion of the skull is reported. The lesion was discovered at 22 weeks' gestation and it rapidly increased in siz e, reaching 8 cm a month later. Tumor echogenicity was the same as tha t for soft tissues and colour Doppler examination revealed intense vas cularization. Cordocentesis showed features of the Kasabach-Merritt sy ndrome and very high plasma levels of alpha-fetoprotein. A Caesarean s ection was performed to avoid dystocia and led to the birth of a baby with cardiac failure in the immediate neonatal period. Biopsies of the mass led to the diagnosis of a non-malignant haemangio-endothelioma. The mass was removed and plastic surgery performed. The baby is alive and well 9 months after the operation.