FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE AFIP - MUSCULOSKELETAL ANGIOMATOUS LESIONS -RADIOLOGIC-PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION

Vascular lesions of bone and soft tissue are relatively common musculo skeletal neoplasms. Hemangioma is the most frequently encountered angi omatous lesion. Osseous hemangioma commonly involves the spine and cal varia and often has a characteristic radiographic appearance, with eit her coarsened trabeculae lying adjacent to the vascular channels or mu ltifocal lytic areas creating a honeycomb pattern. Soft-tissue hemangi oma is the most frequent soft-tissue neoplasm of infancy and childhood . Radiography and computed tomography (CT) may show phleboliths in cav ernous soft-tissue hemangioma. The magnetic resonance (MR) imaging app earance, however, is often more distinctive, because fat overgrowth an d serpentine vascular channels can be seen. Lymphangioma usually occur s in the neck and axillae of young children as a soft-tissue mass comp osed of large cavernous spaces and is well evaluated with CT, ultrasou nd, or MR imaging. Vascular lesions can also diffusely involve both bo ne and soft tissue in angiomatosis. A group of more aggressive vascula r neoplasms, including hemangioendothelioma, hemangiopericytoma, and a ngiosarcoma, may have a nonspecific imaging appearance; however, the v ascular pattern can be recognized in some cases, allowing radiologic d iagnosis. Imaging is important throughout the evaluation of angiomatou s lesions for detection, diagnosis, preoperative assessment, and treat ment.