Angiosarcoma of the of scalp with calvarium involvement in a 50-year-old African-American man.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Angiosarcoma of the scalp is a rare, aggressive, and deadly cancer that affects mainly elderly Caucasian men. OBJECTIVES: The insidious and masquerading presentation of angiosarcoma poses enormous diagnostic challenges for primary care providers. PATIENTS/METHODS: We present a case of a 50-year-old black man referred for evaluation of a 3.7-cm-x-5.4-cm ulcerated, fluctuant scalp lesion that had failed to respond to different antibiotics and proper wound care. RESULTS: Surgical excision and subsequent histopathology revealed angiosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: This case report highlights the importance of high index of suspicion for early diagnosis of cancerous lesions in wounds and stresses the need to include angiosarcoma in the differential diagnosis for all face and scalp lesions, as early detection may save lives. A comprehensive literature review is also presented.