Case report: mesenteric mixed haemangioma and lymphangioma; report of a case with 10 year follow-up after radiation treatment.

A patient with massive mixed haemangioma and lymphangioma of the mesentery first presented in childhood with ascites which subsided spontaneously and, subsequently, at 21 years of age, presented with gastrointestinal bleeding. At laparotomy, the lesion was found to involve 90% of the mesentery and was unresectable due to its bulk. Hence he was treated by radiotherapy (15 Gy/15 fractions/3 weeks followed by a boost of 5 Gy/4 fractions/4 days). He responded to the treatment. 10 years later he again experienced mild gastrointestinal bleeding which subsided spontaneously. This case illustrates the efficacy of radiotherapy in massive mesenteric haemolymphangiomas. Review of the literature revealed that surgical excision, embolization, and radiotherapy have been used in the treatment of haemangiomas and lymphangiomas. In unresectable cases, radiotherapy has a definite role in the management. A variety of doses has been employed in the literature. No definite dose-response relationship was identified.