Intercostal Muscle Cavernous Haemangioma: A Chest Wall Pandora's Box.

BACKGROUND

Haemangiomas are uncommon chest wall tumours arising outside the rib cage. Their occurrence in intercostal muscle is extremely rare.

AIM

We describe a case of intercostal muscle cavernous haemangioma as a differential diagnosis for chest wall swelling.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We describe an 18-year-old male patient with an asymptomatic left-sided chest wall swelling. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a well-defined homogenously non-enhancing mass lesion arising from the seventh intercostal muscle with differential diagnoses of various chest wall tumours. Clinical presentation and imaging findings were inconclusive, but histopathological examination following excision biopsy revealed a cavernous haemangioma. The present case emphasizes the importance of histopathological diagnosis when clinical and radiological examination is inconclusive. Hence, it is necessary to consider intercostal muscle haemangiomas as a differential diagnosis for chest wall tumours in the absence of a feeding vessel.

CONCLUSION

Despite its rare occurrence, intercostal muscle haemangioma must be considered as a differential diagnosis in chest wall tumours even in the absence of a feeding vessel. We believe that histopathology can provide a definitive diagnosis when most investigative procedures are inconclusive.

LEARNING POINTS

Haemangiomas are rare chest wall tumours and even rarer when they originate from intercostal muscle.Intercostal muscle haemangiomas should be included in the differential diagnosis of chest wall tumours even in the absence of a feeding vessel.The present case emphasizes the importance of histopathological diagnosis when clinical and radiological examinations are inconclusive.