Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma diagnosed following elbow painful contracture in an adolescent patient: A case report

Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma is a rare, locally invasive vascular tumor of intermediate malignancy that most frequently involves the extremities. Most cases manifest in infancy and are associated with life-threatening consumptive coagulopathy, known as the Kasabach–Merritt phenomenon, acute pain, and functional limitations. We present an extremely rare case of kaposiform hemangioendothelioma in a 15-year-old girl who had had no remarkable symptoms other than skin erythema until she developed severe pain and elbow contracture during adolescence. Although marginal tumor resection necessitated concurrent triceps tendon resection, her symptoms resolved without recurrence over a 2-year follow-up. This case highlights that probably congenital kaposiform hemangioendothelioma may not cause significant symptoms until adolescence and the importance of resection for symptomatic resectable lesions.