Congenital (Infantile) Hemangiopericytoma of the Tongue and Sublingual Region

Abstract

Congenital (infantile) hemangiopericytoma is a rare lesion, previously described only in subcutaneous and central nervous system locations. The authors report here an obstructing tumor of the tongue and sublingual oral cavity, discovered at birth, in an otherwise normal female infant of 35 weeks' gestation. The tumor had a histopathologic and ultrastructural appearance similar to previous descriptions of infantile hemangiopericytoma. Clinical features in this case included rapid local recurrence after initial excision; however, after 30 months of follow-up, there has beenno evidence of further recurrence or metastasis. Because this patient was treated with chemotherapy, the authors cannot determine to what extent this benign course reflects the natural history of this process or the influence of the treatment administered.