Archives of the AFIP -- RadioGraphics

Figure Legend | Panel A | Panel B | Panel C | Panel D

Figure 4: Thoracic hemangioma in a 31-year-old man with radicular pain and numbness. Panel A Anteroposterior radiograph obtained after myelography shows typical vertical trabecular thickening of a hemangioma at T-8 (arrows). There is an associated soft-tissue mass (*) and blockage of the myelographic contrast material. Panel B CT scan reveals the "polka dot" appearance of the trabeculae (straight arrows); however, the intervening stroma has largely soft-tissue (not fat) attenuation (arrowheads). Soft-tissue involvement (curved arrows) surrounding the spinal cord was the cause of the patient's symptoms. Panel C Spinal arteriogram obtained before embolization reveals puddling of contrast material (arrows) in this cavernous hemangioma. Panel D Spinal arteriogram obtained after embolization shows decreased vascularity of the lesion and patency of the artery of Adamkiewicz (arrows). The patient also subsequently underwent radiation therapy, with relief of symptoms. (Fig 4a and 4b reprinted, with permission, from Leehey PL, Naseem M, Every P, Russell E, Sarwar M. Vertebral hemangioma with compression myelopathy: metrizamide CT demonstration. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1985; 9:985 986.).

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