Background:
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumor with malignant biological behavior. It arises from endothelial cells, usually within soft tissues, and can occur in almost all locations.
Case report:
We report a unique case of a 25-year-old man who presented with sudden attacks of severe back pain followed by acute non-traumatic paraplegia. Emergency diagnostics revealed a pathologic fracture of the T7 vertebra with tumor tissue invasion of the spinal canal. Furthermore, multifocal metastases were found.
Results:
To achieve en bloc resection, interdisciplinary surgical approaches were indicated. Despite multimodal therapy concepts, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as endovascular embolization, the patient died within 8 weeks.
Conclusion:
Prognosis of EHE is unpredictable and mainly determined by its location. The lesions are potentially aggressive; therefore, en bloc resection should be attempted whenever possible. However, as shown in the literature, only 15% of patients are suitable for total resection.