CYSTIC HYGROMA RECONSIDERED: HAMARTOMA OR NEOPLASM? PRIMARY CULTURE OF AN ENDOTHELIAL CELL LINE FROM A MASSIVE CERVICOMEDIASTINAL HYGROMA WITH BONY LYMPHANGIOMATOSIS

CA Bowman, MH Witte, CL Witte, DL Way, RB Nagle, JG Copeland, CC Daschbach

Abstract


A young woman presented with massive enlargement
of a giant cervicomediastinal cystic hygroma,
which communicated in part with the thoracic duct
and was associated with generalized bony lymphangiomatosis.
Modern imaging and sophisticated
intraoperative physiologic monitoring made one-stage
resection feasible. Tissue culture of explants of the
hygroma yielded a primary endothelial cell line still
surviving after 18 months, which, like the cyst-lining
endothelium in the original resected specimen,
reacted positively for Factor VIII-associated antigen.
These findings, in conjunction with the histologic picture,
support the notion that cystic hygroma
represents an expanding proliferating endothelial
growth process and not simply a sequestered lymphatic
receptacle.


Full Text:

PDF