Felicitous surgical management of a ponderously rare diagnosis of a Vascular Hamartoma in the neck of an adolescent female - A Case Report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Hamartomas are defined as abnormal nonmalignant tissue malformations and are characterized by defected propagation of fully differentiated cells and soft tissues that are native to the affected organ. Etiology is either sporadic or congenital. Established incidence rates are only known for Pulmonary Hamartomas and are 0.25 %. Vascular Hamartomas are rarer and possess no known incidence rate. We must bear that diagnosis in mind when presented with such presentations. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 20-year-old Middle Eastern female, who presented to the General Surgery clinic with a two-month history of a gradually expansive bulge in the patient's right side of the neck. The bulge was painless and slowly increased in size. Preoperative radiological analysis demonstrated a cystic formation conformant with a vascular anomaly. Complete surgical excision of the mass was done, and histopathology revealed a Vascular Hamartoma. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Surgery was the modality of choice for treatment of our patient. Meticulous radiological analysis accompanied by informed clinical judgement were the gold standards for preoperative assessment. The patient underwent complete postoperative recovery and has been followed-up for 5 months thus far with no evidence of recurrence or complications. CONCLUSION: In general, Hamartomas are profoundly rare occurrences, especially Vascular Hamartomas, and are even rarer in adolescent females. It is crucial to study and document such a rare diagnosis. This would facilitate performing epidemiological studies and enable surgeons to choose appropriate individualized therapeutic options.