Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Dec;77(Suppl 3):910-2.
doi: 10.1007/s12262-014-1062-1. Epub 2014 Apr 10.

Extradigital Glomus Tumor-a Rare Cause for Undiagnosed Chronic Pain in Unusal Sites

P R Venugopal  1
Affiliations

Extradigital Glomus Tumor-a Rare Cause for Undiagnosed Chronic Pain in Unusal Sites

P R Venugopal. Indian J Surg. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Glomus tumor is a benign vascular tumor derived from the modified smooth muscle cells of the glomus body. The single most common site is the subungual region of the finger, but other common sites include the palm, wrist, forearm, and foot. In this article, we present a rare situation of glomus tumor occurring on the back of the chest over the scapular area in an elderly male patient. The tumor cells exhibited positive expression for CD34 and smooth muscle actin. This paper highlights the fact that a glomus tumor is a benign neoplasm that may occur in multiple locations. Therefore, the significance of a histological and immunohistochemical approach for a correct characterization of this lesion is required.

Keywords: Extra digital glomus tumor; Glomus tumor; Limberg flap; Scapular pain.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
External appearance of the case with flap design
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
MRI scans showing the lesion
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Excised skin with lesion
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Histological appearance of the tumor
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Enzinger SW, Weiss FM, Editors. Soft Tissue Tumors. 4th edition. Mosby; St Louis: 2001. Perivascular tumors; pp. 985–1001
    1. Folpe AL, Fanburg-Smith JC, Miettinen M, Weiss SW. Atypical and malignant glomus tumors: analysis of 52 cases, with a proposal for the reclassification of glomus tumors. Am J Surg Pathol. 2001;25:58–64. doi: 10.1097/00000478-200101000-00006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lee D-W, Yang J-H, Chang S, Won C-H, Lee M-W, Choi J-H, Moon K-C. Clinical and pathological characteristics of extradigital and digital glomus tumours: a retrospective comparative study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2011;25:1392–1397. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2011.03979.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Al-Qattan MM, Al-Namla A, Al-Thunayan A, Al-Subhi F, El-Shayeb AF. Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of glomus tumours of the hand. J Hand Surg. 2005;30(5):535–540. - PubMed
    1. Abela M, Cole AS, Hill GA, Carr AJ. Glomus tumor of the scapular region. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2000;9(6):532–533. doi: 10.1067/mse.2000.108961. - DOI - PubMed