Question Title: caniverous hemangioma

My mother was born with a large caniverous hemangioma on the left side of her back. At the time (75 years ago), the doctors stood in amazement at what she had - they even told her parents that she was the only person they had ever seen this in and she would not live long. Pictures of her were placed in books. She underwent multiple surgeries and the doctors always told her they could never reach the end of it and the tumor would just continue to grow and wear holes throughout her body. They told her that if she were ever to be injured causing the tumor to break she would bleed to death immediately. Finally, she underwent radium injections since surgeries were unsuccessful. She has permanent scarring from these injections. My questions are:
1. What is the current information on this condition?
2. Is it hereditary?
3. What are the current treatments/recommendations?
4. What are her risks from the radium many years age?
5. Would there be any residual effects of the radium to me or my children?

Any information you could provide me with will be most appreciated.
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Dear Mary,
thank you for your question.
1. Cavernous hemangioma located in the back (vertebral hemangioma=VH) is a common slow growing benign tumor of blood vessels. It is found in 10-12% of autopsy making VH the most common benign spinal tumor. Most are located in lower thoracic and lumbar region. It can grow outside the bone but completely outside the bone VH is very rare. OVer half are asymptomatic. It can however cause neurologic problem and acute spinal cord compression (causing paralysis).
2. No
3. See no. 1, as most are asymptomatic, if symptomatic it needs to be operated on, for example if it causes spinal cord compression, then it is surgically removed.
4. Depending on how much and for how long, it may cause problem.
5. Same as 4, although in general the answer is no.

I hope this helps.

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