Ultrasonography of proliferative vascular lesions of the skin

J Dermatol. 1990 Apr;17(4):247-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1346-8138.1990.tb01633.x.

Abstract

High-resolution ultrasonography with small part probes was performed on 20 proliferative vascular lesions of the skin (3 lymphangiomas, 9 hemangiomas, 8 Kaposi sarcomas). All the lesions were submitted to histological examination. The histological cuts were made in the same planes as the ultrasound scans in order to obtain a direct comparison. The sonographic pattern of each histotype is characteristic and correlated with the corresponding histological picture. Lymphangiomas appear as large anechoic communicating cavities; hemangiomas have small hypoechoic areas separated by thin hyperechoic septa. Kaposi sarcomas possess a mixed sonographic structure with ill-defined margins. Ultrasound is proposed as a simple and harmless diagnostic aid to clinical examination of proliferative vascular lesions of the skin.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Hemangioma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Lymphangioma / pathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / pathology*
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Ultrasonography / methods*