Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia. A benign lesion mimicking angiosarcoma.

Observations were made of three cases of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH). Lesions of IPEH usually occur on the head and neck area as a subcutaneous red or blue nodule. This papillary proliferation of endothelial and stromal tissue occurs de novo in organizing venous thrombi or in preexisting hemangiomas or phlebectasias. An adequate understanding of this benign vascular disorder is important, since the lesion may be clinically and histologically mistaken for low grade angiosarcoma.