Abstract

BACKGROUND
Capillary hemangiomas are often seen on the skin of young individuals and are rarely found in the spine. These vascular lesions can arise from any spinal compartment, although they are more commonly found in the intradural extramedullary (IDEM) than the epidural location. We present a unique case of a woman with a histologically proven spinal epidural capillary hemangioma (SECH). The imaging and histopathological characteristics, as well as the treatment strategy of this vascular lesion, are highlighted along with a comprehensive review of the literature.
CASE REPORT
A 38-year-old woman presented with progressively worsening low back pain that radiated to both legs. Neurological examination revealed a weakness of the left leg without sensory loss. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated an epidural tumor at L1-L2 level, making an obtuse angle with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on sagittal T2-weighted images. The patient underwent a complete tumor resection without complications or recurrence. The histology revealed a capillary hemangioma.
CONCLUSIONS
SECH is exceedingly rare, with only 22 cases in the reported literature. Females are more commonly affected than males, and the thoracic spine is more commonly involved than the lumbar spine. SECH often mimics other epidural and IDEM lesions, leading to misdiagnosis. MRI is useful to differentiate SECH from lesions in the various spinal compartments; additionally, MRI is essential for preoperative planning and patient surveillance. Preoperative embolization is an option given the high vascularity of SECH. Surgery is the mainstay treatment, with a good prognosis, in most cases without recurrence.

Keywords: Epidural Neoplasms; Hemangioblastoma; Hemangioma, Capillary; Paraganglioma