Glomus tumor: A rare differential diagnosis for subungual lesions.

Radiol Case Rep

Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Glomus tumors are rare, non-cancerous lumps that mostly grow under the nails of fingers and can cause pain and sensitivity to cold.
  • They are often not diagnosed quickly because they are small and not well-known, with some people waiting as long as 40 years to get help.
  • The best way to treat a glomus tumor is to have surgery to remove it, which can stop the pain and prevent it from coming back.

Article Abstract

Glomus tumors are rare, benign vascular hamartomas of the glomus apparatus with unknown etiology. They can arise from anywhere in the body. However, up to 90% of them are located in the subungual region of the fingers, as in the case of our patient. These tumors typically present with the classic triad of pain, cold sensitivity, and point tenderness. Characteristic US and MRI findings aid the clinical diagnosis; nevertheless, a histopathologic examination is confirmatory. There is a well-documented mean delay in diagnosis of around 7 years, due to the rarity, benignity, small size, and lack of proper knowledge about the condition. However, we reported a case with a delay in diagnosis that reached 40 years, which is much longer than what is documented in the literature. A high index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis and management of glomus tumors to relieve the patient's long-term suffering and prevent possible secondary nail deformities. The curative treatment of glomus tumor is complete surgical excision, which is crucial to prevent recurrence and relieve the patient's symptoms.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11437606PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radcr.2024.08.116DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

glomus tumor
8
glomus tumors
8
delay diagnosis
8
relieve patient's
8
glomus
5
diagnosis
5
tumor rare
4
rare differential
4
differential diagnosis
4
diagnosis subungual
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!