Lobular capillary hemangioma in the soft tissue of the finger: sonographic findings

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic findings of pathologically confirmed subcutaneous lobular capillary hemangioma of the finger in six patients.

Materials and methods

The clinical records were reviewed for data, including the patients’ age and gender, the clinical presentation, a history of trauma, and the tumor site. The sonographic findings were retrospectively analyzed for the specific location within the superficial tissue, the tumor’s size, shape, and margin, the internal echogenicity, the internal echo texture, the presence of calcification, the presence of a hypoechoic rim, and the internal vascularity.

Results

The study group consisted of three men and three women, and the six patients’ mean age was 39 years (age range: 13-67 years). All the patients were admitted with a painful nodule or a painless protruding nodule in the finger with easy bleeding on contact. In all cases, there was no history of trauma. The mean size of the tumors was 0.85 cm. All the tumors were ill-defined, oval, subcutaneous nodules without calcifications or any hypoechoic rim. Color Doppler sonography showed marked internal vascularity in both the central and peripheral tumor regions in three cases and scanty vascularity in the peripheral region in three cases.

Conclusions

Subcutaneous lobular capillary hemangioma should be considered when an ill-defined, oval, vascular subcutaneous nodule without calcifications or a hypoechoic rim is seen in the soft tissue of the finger, especially if this tumor is a painful small nodule or a painless protruding small nodule with easy bleeding on contact.