Vascular leiomyoma of the finger causing bone erosion*

With the rarity and benign nature, angioleiomyoma is a tumor of disputed etiology that originates from the tunica media of the blood vessels. Lacking any characteristic clinical or radiological features, often leading to preoperative misdiagnosis, it is only diagnosed confidently on the basis of histopathology; for this reason combined with the rarity, angioleiomyoma would not be usually found at the top of the differential diagnosis list. Local excision is usually curative with excellent prognosis.

This report discusses a case of a 60-year-old healthy lady who complained of a chronic painless mass in the right 2nd digit. Originating from the proper ulnar digital artery, it was excised with no complications. Histopathology results confirmed the diagnosis of angioleiomyoma. No recurrence was observed 6 months following the procedure.

Out of the handful published papers concerned with angioleiomyoma in hands, few report the origin to be the digital artery.

Further awareness about this tumor is required and it should be included in the differential diagnoses list of the treating surgeon.

We present the case of a 64-year-old woman with a subcutaneous vascular leiomyoma in the tarsal tunnel in the ankle. The patient presented with pain of several years' duration in the medial aspect of the ankle in the retromalleolar region corresponding to the tarsal tunnel and associated with a subcutaneous mass. We report the clinical manifestation, the imaging and histopathologic features, and a review of the literature. Vascular leiomyomas are part of the differential diagnosis of painful subcutaneous masses in the lower extremity.

Le léiomyome vasculaire est une tumeur bénigne douloureuse qui siège classiquement au membre inférieur. Nous en rapportons un cas inhabituel siégeant à la main. Seule l'exérèse chirurgicale permet d'établir le diagnostic histopathologique. Une revue de la littérature atteste de la rareté de cette tumeur à la main. Cette observation a également l'intérêt de rappeler les diagnostics différentiels devant une tumeur douloureuse de la main.

Vascular leiomyoma is a benign painful tumour that occurs most frequently in the lower extremity. We report an uncommon case in the hand. Only surgical removal of the tumour allows establishing the diagnosis histologically. A review of the literature confirms the rarity of the tumour in the hand. The purpose of this case report is furthermore to consider the differential diagnosis in painful masses of the hand