We
report a case of
intramuscular hemangioma in the
subscapularis muscle and the resulting impairment of
shoulder function in an
adult patient. A nineteen-year-old
female complained of
shoulder pain and the development of a mass in the absence of previous
trauma.
Physical examinations, including lift-off and belly-
press tests, showed abnormality.
X-ray showed multiple calcifications in the front of the
scapula.
Magnetic resonance imaging showed a soft-
tissue mass occupying almost the entire intramuscular portion of the
subscapularis muscle. An arthroscopic examination excluded the possibility of a
joint invasion, after which the entire mass was successfully removed by open excision. The displacement of the
subscapularis by the mass was relieved after the
surgery. Pathological
diagnosis of the
tissue confirmed a
cavernous hemangioma. Both
shoulder pain and function was improved after operation. There was no evidence of
recurrence even at the 2-year follow-up. Rare forms of
hemangioma adjacent to the
shoulder joint could be successfully managed with surgical excision.
Differential diagnosis, such as
synovial chondromatosis,
pigmented villonodular synovitis, and malignant
sarcoma, should also be considered.