Infantile hemangiopericytoma of the tongue—Efficacy of ex utero intrapartum treatment procedure and combined-modality therapy

Here we present an extremely rare case of giant infantile hemangiopericytoma (HPC) of the tongue diagnosed prenatally by fetal ultrasonography and MR imaging. Due to airway stenosis, the patient was delivered by the ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure at 36 weeks of pregnancy. Initial diagnosis was infantile hemangioma based on physical examination, diagnostic imaging and the high incidence of hemangioma. The tumor was resistant to conservative treatments. Due to severe tumor hemorrhage, the nutrient vessel was embolized by endovascular treatment on the 73th day after birth. Two days after embolization, a hemiglossectomy was performed. Histological analysis after surgery diagnosed infantile HPC with microscopically positive stumps. After receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, the patient has had no recurrence after 53 months with normal speech and swallowing function resulting in normal growth. Our findings support that infantile HPC is one of the differential diagnosis of infantile hemangioma. The EXIT procedure could be effective for infants with upper respiratory stenosis by head and neck tumor diagnosed prenatally. Though complete resection is required for infantile HPC, our report suggests that a conservative surgical approach followed by adjuvant chemotherapy should be used for giant head and neck infantile HPC.