EPITHELIOID HEMANGIOENDOTHELIOMA OF THE SUPERIOR VENA-CAVA - COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

A case is reported of a 79-year-old man with rapid onset of superior v ena cava syndrome caused by an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. Contr ast-enhanced helical computed tomography showed a soft-tissue mass wit h punctate calcifications obstructing the superior vena cava and infil trating adjacent fat. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a very rare primary mesenchymal tumor of the superior vena cava that often present s with calcifications. It should to be added to the differential diagn osis of tumors of the anterior mediastinum.