Extradigital Glomangioma of the Cutaneous Chest Wall

Abstract

Glomus tumors (GTs) are rare benign tumors as a result of hyperplasia of glomus body. GT most commonly involves the subungual areas and rarely involves extra-digital sites. The clinical presentation of a glomus tumor is a triad of symptoms consisting of pain, cold intolerance, and pinpoint tenderness. Even though glomus tumors are benign, they can infrequently be malignant. Despite their benign nature, these lesions can cause disabling symptoms, therefore proper diagnosis and treatment is important. In this report, we present a 35-year-old Saudi male with a painful lesion on the right side of the chest wall at the posterior axillary line for seven years, with recent progressive growth and symptoms. Diagnosis of extra-digital glomangioma of the chest wall in this patient was confirmed by histopathology. The patient was managed by complete surgical excision of the lesion with the resolution of pain and without recurrence.

Keywords: atypical location; chest wall; extradigital; glomangioma; glomus tumor.

Figure 1. A single small well-circumscribed bluish papule over the right side of chest wall.

Figure 2. A section of this lesion composed of uniform round-shaped cells with indistinct cells and rounded sharply pinched out nucleus with amphophilic to eosinophilic cytoplasm. The nuclei of the cell are centrally located and have homogenous chromatin and inconspicuous nucleoli, no mitoses seen. The background of the lesion shows a prominent vascular component. Histopathology finding: glomangioma.

Figure 3. Tumor cells in the background of blood vessels.

Figure 4. Section of skin and subcutaneous tissue containing well-delimited lesion of vascular nature based at the reticular dermis and dermal subcutaneous junction.