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. 2012:2012:782304.
doi: 10.1155/2012/782304. Epub 2012 Sep 19.

A primary pulmonary glomus tumor: a case report and review of the literature

Yasushi Ariizumi  1 , Hirotaka Koizumi, Masahiro Hoshikawa, Takuo Shinmyo, Kouji Ando, Atsushi Mochizuki, Ayako Tateishi, Masatomo Doi, Mieko Funatsu, Ichirou Maeda, Masayuki Takagi
Affiliations

A primary pulmonary glomus tumor: a case report and review of the literature

Yasushi Ariizumi et al. Case Rep Pathol. 2012.

Abstract

A case of a glomus tumor originating from the lung is reported. A 43-year-old female had undergone resection of a right lung tumor following a clinical diagnosis of carcinoid, sclerosing hemangioma, or other sarcoma. Histologically, the tumor comprised uniform small round to oval cells with centrally located nucleus, a clear cytoplasm, and apparent cell borders. The tumor also showed a focally hemangiopericytomatous pattern with irregularly branching or dilated vessels. Electron microscopy revealed smooth muscle differentiation of the tumor cells. Immunostaining further revealed that the tumor cells expressed smooth muscle actin, h-caldesmon, muscle specific actin (HHF-35), but not cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, synaptophysin, or chromogranin A. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of primary pulmonary glomus tumor was established. Glomus tumors of the lung are very rare and only 21 cases have been reported to date. The histological features of the present tumor and the relevant literature are discussed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CT of the chest revealing a 2.0 × 2.0 cm nodular mass on the right peripheral upper lobe.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a, b) The excised tumor, measuring 2.0 × 2.0 cm, appeared as a well-circumscribed nodular lesion with a whitish color and focal central hemorrhage. (c, d) Histological findings for the removed tumor revealed uniform small round to oval cells with a centrally located nucleolus, a clear cytoplasm, and clear cell borders. Branching vessels with a hemangiopericytomatous pattern (HPC-pattern) were also evident.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a–c) Immunostaining revealing that the tumor cells showed a diffuse positive expression of αSMA and h-caldesmon at the cell membrane and cytoplasm but were negative for chromogranin A. (d) CD34 was found to be only focally positive in perivascular tumor cells.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Electron microscopy revealed that the tumor cells contained pinocytotic vesicles and a dense patch lining at the basement membrane.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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