[Microvenular hemangioma].

INTRODUCTION

Microvenular hemangioma belongs to the group of acquired vascular tumors. It is important to differentiate such lesions because of their prognostic and nosologic consequences. We report a case of microvenular hemangioma.

CASE REPORT: A 31 year-old man presented with a 3 cm erythematous and asymptomatic nodule of the abdomen, which had grown for 2 months. Histopathology showed the irregular dermal proliferation of small vessels, composed of capillaries and venules, without atypia. No relapse was noted 6 months after complete exeresis.

DISCUSSION: Microvenular hemangioma is a recently described vascular tumor. The first three cases were reported in 1989, with the denomination of "microcapillar hemangioma". Twenty-one further cases have been reported since 1991. We discuss the typical clinical and histological characteristics of this lesion and present criteria permitting the differential diagnosis with other vascular neoplasms. Dermatologists should be aware of this lesion, notably for the differential diagnosis with early onset Kaposi's disease.