The Dąbska Tumor: A Thirty-Year Retrospect

Abstract

The Dąbska tumor is a rare low-grade angiosarcoma also known as malignant endovascular papillary angioendothelioma of childhood. It primarily affects the skin of children and has a distinctive histologic pattern of anastomosing vascular channels with intravascular papillary outpouchings projecting, sometimes, in a glomerulus-like pattern, into a lumen lined by atypical columnar endothelial cells. Since its original description 30 years ago by one of us, knowledge in this area has expanded.

Fast growing multifocal retiform hemangioendothelioma: a case report

“…Besides retiform hemangioendothelioma, epitheloid hemangioendothelioma and Dabska's tumor are other examples of low-grade angiosarcoma [4,14,15]. In contrast, conventional angiosarcoma of the skin (e.g., angiosarcoma related to lymphedema and radiation therapy, clinical variants of angiosarcoma of face and scalp in elderly patients) are highly aggressive neoplasms with dismal prognosis and high incidence of recurrence and metastasis [1,3].…”

A curtain across Central Europe: physicians unheard, accomplishments unrecognized

“…She survived deportation to Germany and went on to an illustrious medical career behind the Iron Curtain, earning her international acclaim for an angiosarcoma, she described [3], often referred to as the Dąbska tumor [4]. Defying pressure in communist post-war Poland to do so, she never became a member of the Communist Party-something that delayed and impeded scientific careers of many scientists, including her.…”

On Being a Pathologist: Maria Dąbska - the woman behind the eponym, a pioneer in pathology

“…There is to our knowledge only one cancer named in honor of its female describer, the Dąbska tumor [1,2]. Yet few are cognizant of her and her accomplishments.…”