Anastomosing Hemangioma of the Paravertebral/Paraspinal Region: A Clinicopathological Study of 13 Patients

Abstract

Anastomosing hemangioma (AH) of the paravertebral/paraspinal region is a rare, benign vascular neoplasm. In this single-center observational study, we describe the clinicopathological features of 13 patients with AH, with a female-to-male patient ratio of 1.2:1 and an age range of 18 to 63 years. Most lesions were located in the thoracic spine (69%), followed by the lumbar region (15%). Histologically, the tumors showed characteristic findings, including lobulated architecture with focal infiltration, an anastomosing, sinusoidal vascular growth pattern, hobnail-shaped endothelial nuclei, mild cytologic atypia, fibrin thrombi, and occasional extramedullary hematopoiesis. Immunohistochemically, the lesions expressed endothelial markers CD31 and CD34. Clinical follow-up was available for 12 patients, all of whom exhibited a benign course without local recurrence. This study underscores the key clinical and histopathological features of paravertebral/paraspinal AH, a rare site of involvement compared to its more commonly reported genitourinary counterpart, thereby aiding accurate recognition and diagnosis.