An immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study of a central venous hemangioma of the mandible.

To date, 96 cases of central hemangiomas of the jawbones have been described in the literature. Of these cases, the mandible has been more affected than the maxilla, while approximately 50% of all cases occur in the first and second decades of life. Histopathologically, cavernous and capillary types are often found, in contrast to the central venous type, which is rare. We have recently treated a 44-year-old man, who was found to have a central venous hemangioma in his mandible. Immunohistochemical studies were performed using factor-VIII-related antigen as well as various lectins as markers for tumor endothelial cells. Our results showed that four kinds of lectins (UEA-I, PNA, ConA, and DBA) were useful for the marker as factor-VIII-related antigen. Scanning electron microscopic findings of this tumor demonstrated that the lumina of the blood vessels were more rough, while the lining endothelial cells were more irregular when compared with those of the normal vascular system.