PRIMARY PULMONARY HEMANGIOPERICYTOMA IN A 3-YEAR-OLD CHILD

Hemangiopericytoma is an uncommon and potentially malignant mesenchymal tumor that apparently arises from spindle-shaped pericytes. The tumor usually grows insidiously until considerable size has been reached, at which point symptoms may indicate invasion of the chest wall, mediastinum, or pleura. Because of its malignant potential, hemangiopericytoma must be distinguished from other vascular tumors. While this tumor has been reported in adolescents and adults, it has never before, to our knowledge, been reported in a small child. We present, within the context of a brief review, a case of apparently benign primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma in a 3-year-old child. Postoperatively, our patient showed no evidence of disease at 9-month follow-up evaluation. However, long-term follow-up is needed in cases of hemangiopericytoma because recurrence over several decades has been shown.