Intraosseous angiolipoma of the cranium: case report.

OBJECTIVE

We describe an intraosseous angiolipoma of the cranium and discuss the outcome. Angiolipomas are benign tumors that consist of mature adipose tissue and abnormal vessels. They occur predominantly in the subcutaneous tissue of the trunk and upper limbs. Only 4 examples of intraosseous angiolipomas have been reported in the literature, all of which involved the mandible and ribs.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 39-year-old man presented with a right parietal swelling. The patient initially refused surgery; thus it was possible to follow this case for 11 years, allowing us to evaluate the natural history of this rare condition.

INTERVENTION: Complete surgical excision of the intraosseous lesion was achieved with a titanium cranioplasty performed at intervals. Fifteen months after surgery, no recurrence was seen.

CONCLUSION

This is the first known report of intraosseous angiolipoma of the cranium. Angiolipomas are rare, benign, slow-growing tumors with an excellent prognosis. On preoperative neuroimaging, they may mimic intraosseous angiomas, lipomas, or intraosseous meningiomas. Total resection is curative.