Cellular hemangioma of the posterior mediastinum: unusual presentation of a rare vascular neoplasm.

Cellular hemangiomas arising in the posterior mediastinum (or paravertebral sulcus) are rare tumors even in childhood. We report one such tumor which arose within a sympathetic ganglion in an infant with associated congenital heart disease (ventricular septal defect) and severe congestive heart failure. The tumor was discovered incidentally at cardiac catheterization when tumor blush was observed in the apex of the left chest. This benign mass was completely resected prior to repair of the cardiac defect. We speculate that it may have contributed to the congestive heart failure.