Infantile hemangioendothelioma of the pericranium presenting as an occipital mass lesion. Case report.

The case of a newborn infant with a large midline mass in the occipital region is presented. Skull x-ray films demonstrated multiple radiolucent defects in the occipital bone. A computerized tomography scan revealed an extracranial mass lesion with marked contrast enhancement. A magnetic resonance image demonstrated that the venous drainage of the lesion passed through the occipital bone into the dural venous sinuses. The anatomy of the hindbrain was normal. The neonate was treated by complete surgical removal of the mass. The histopathological diagnosis was infantile hemangioendothelioma, a tumor commonly found in the liver but rarely in this location. The classification, histopathological characteristics, imaging studies, and treatment of this tumor are discussed.