Vascular tumours in infants. Part II: vascular tumours of intermediate malignancy [corrected] and malignant tumours.

Abstract

Malignant cutaneous vascular tumours are very uncommon in children. As in adults, they are aggressive neoplasms with metastatic potential and a high mortality rate. Some nonmalignant vascular tumours may exhibit a locally aggressive behaviour and some of them can be associated with life-threatening systemic complications such as Kasabach-Merritt syndrome. Early diagnosis of these aggressive neoplasms in children is very important in order to start appropriate therapy as soon as possible, as this can have a significant impact on the prognosis of these patients. This review focuses on cutaneous vascular tumours of intermediate dignity (tufted angioma, kaposiform haemangioendothelioma, multifocal lymphangioendotheliomatosis with thrombocytopenia, papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma, retiform haemangioendothelioma, adult-type haemangioendotheliomas) and malignant vascular tumours in young children (Kaposi sarcoma, angiosarcoma).