Formidable Angiosarcoma of the Scalp

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Angiosarcoma is a tumor of mesenchymal origin with an extremely high rate of metastasis and invasiveness. This tumor is notorious for its very poor prognosis, although surgical excision followed by radiation therapy is considered to be effective by many. The authors experienced three angiosarcoma patients with their tumors removed and wounds covered with split-thickness skin grafts and/or latissimus dorsi free flaps. METHODS: Three patients were admitted to our hospital showed plaques of different morphology. Based on their medical records, these patients were classified by sex, age, type of reconstruction, recurrence, and further treatment after surgical removal. RESULTS: All patients were male, with a mean age of 72 years (range, 66 to 77 years). Split-thickness skin grafts with latissimus dorsi free flaps were performed on two cases, and of these two cases, cervical lymph node biopsy was done in one case, and radical neck dissection was done in the other. In all cases, radiation therapy was done within two weeks of tumor removal. Distant metastasis occurred without local recurrence in two of the cases. Lung was the first organ affected by metastasis. In the remaining case, the tumor recurred locally 6 times, and additional excision was necessary. All patients died due to local recurrence and lung metastasis. CONCLUSION: Irregular margins and high recurrence and metastasis rates cause a poor prognosis in large angiosarcoma of the scalp. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be strongly considered in large angiosarcomas.