Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH) or Masson's tumor is a rare benign entity commonly found on the head, neck, and upper extremities. It usually arises within a blood vessel but is considered to be a nonneoplastic reactive process often associated with vascular injury.

It can be mischaracterized as a malignancy.

Although benign, this hemangioma grows to form an expansile compressing mass. This lesion is mostly seen in skin and subcutaneous tissue. Occurrence in the central nervous system is rare. Still rarer is a spinal location.

see Intracranial intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia

see Spinal intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia

While hundreds of IPEH cases are reported, only four occurred in the maxillary sinus.

Cooke et al. from the Mount Sinai Hospital presented the case of a 28-year-old male who underwent surgical resection of IPEH of the right maxillary sinus. An additional consideration was the patient's condition of univentricular tricuspid atresia which contributed to chronic hypoxemia and polycythemia. After complete resection from the maxillary sinus, post-operational workup determined the lesion to be IPEH. Given the potential for misdiagnosis of IPEH, careful histopathologic evaluation is required in order to avoid improper treatment ¹⁾.