[Posterior mediastinal glomangiomatosis: Exceptional location of a rare tumour].

INTRODUCTION

Glomangiomatosis is a benign tumour proliferation which develops from the glomus cells in the wall of a vessel, and which contains abnormal venous capillaries. Its usual location is dermal at the extremities, mediastinal presentation is exceptional.

OBSERVATION: A 63-year-old patient, followed for scoliosis, was admitted for a spontaneous haemothorax. The CT scan found hypervascularized left paravertebral masses. Thoracoscopy with biopsy provided the diagnosis of a glomus tumour. Given that its diffuse nature makes surgical excision difficult and the risk of intraoperative bleeding very high, treatment with interleukin alpha 2 was proposed to the patient. After a 3-year course, we did not observe any evolutionary change in the lesions.

CONCLUSION

Glomangiomatosis is an insidiously evolving vascular tumour which must be considered in the presence of vascular lesions. The reference treatment is surgical excision when possible. On the other hand, hasty surgery in diffuse forms remains dangerous given the haemorrhagic nature of this tumour.