[Phlebolits: a rare cause of symptoms in patients with venous malformations].

: Phlebolits are rare lesions that may appear in all parts of the body (head, maxillary, pelvis and extremities) and can be diagnosed by radiologic means, without any symptomatology. However, in very rare cases, they can be responsible for pain and functional incapacity, mainly in the extremities and when they are related to congenital venous malformations. The authors report two clinical cases in young people, carrying venous malformations of the upper limbs, in which the pain was caused by phlebolits. The diagnosis was performed through radiologic examination and confirmed by the appearance of pain as consequence of the mobilisation of the lesions. The surgical resection of the phlebolits resulted in the prompt disappearance of the symptoms. Chemical analyses revealed that tricalcium phosphate was the main component of these calcifications. The authors discuss some hypothesis regarding the formation of this peculiar form of complication of venous malformations.