Musculoskeletal complications have been associated with kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) and can lead to disability and reduced quality of life. We aimed to determine the clinical characteristics of musculoskeletal complication in patients with KHE without Kasabach–Merritt phenomenon (KMP) in order to identify features that may aid clinicians in KHE treatment.
We conducted a cohort study of KHE without KMP associated with musculoskeletal complication between January 2006 and February 2017 at three tertiary medical centers in China. The study included 29 nonthrombocytopenic patients with KHE and musculoskeletal complication.
The mean age at diagnosis of KHE was 4.5 years (range, 0.3–50.0 years). The mean follow-up was 4.1 years (range, 0.5–9.0 years). In most cases (72.4%), decreased range of motion (ROM) appeared within 2 years of KHE onset. Associated chronic pain was reported in 12 patients. Bone–joint changes were common in patients with decreased ROM (75.9%). All the patients received at least one medical therapy including corticosteroids, vincristine, propranolol, and sirolimus. Sirolimus demonstrated the highest efficacy rate, with 94.7% of patients showing improvements in ROM and chronic pain.