Cavernous haemangioma of the lung; report of a case.

Cavernous haemangiomata of the lung are uncommon. Recently Whitaker (1947) recorded two cases and was able to find only five other instances in the available French, English, and American literature. The pulmonary lesions are usually a manifestation of a widespread and often hereditary haemangiomatosis. The non-pulmonary lesions, apart from haemorrhage when near the surface sometimes resulting in severe anaemia or the occasional formation of a large skin tumour, seem to be of little significance in contrast to the pulmonary lesions, where, owing presumably to less resistance on the part of the surrounding tissues, considerable enlargement can occur with shunting of blood from the right to the left side of the heart. This fistulous communication accounts for many of the additional signs and symptoms encountered in such cases. The following case presented many of the characteristic features of multiple haemangiomata, pulmonary masses, cyanosis, polycythaemia, clubbing, an exocardial to-and-fro murmur, and a collapsing pulse.