Abstract

Hemangioma in the submandibular gland is extremely rare. It is mostly cavernous in the subtype found in adults. A case of arteriovenous hemangioma occurred in a 60-year old male patient. Oropharyngeal computed tomography revealed an ill-defined, poorly enhanced mass that involved the plastyma muscle. The excised mass was composed of large numbers of dilated blood vessels, mostly veins, with a peripheral rim of non-neoplastic salivary gland tissue. Small numbers of arteries were also admixed. Elastic staining revealed communications of the arteries and veins, which confirmed the diagnosis. Local recurrence is common in arteriovenous hemangioma because of the difficulties in achieving a complete excision, so pathologic diagnosis of this subtype is important in case of hemangioma.

• Keywords: Hemangioma;Submandibular gland;Prognosis