ABSTRACT

Aim

To evaluate the clinical properties and treatment results of patients with glomus tumor which is one of the rare tumors of the hand originating from the neuromyoarterial glomus body.

Materials and Methods

Between years 2012-2014, a total of 9 patients (6 women and 3 men) diagnosed with glomus tumor of the hand were included in this retrospective study. Age, sex, localization of the lesion, symptoms and the initiation time of the symptoms, time of first clinical evaluation and diagnosis, radiological imaging methods, the treatment applied, pathological diagnosis, follow-up results and the presence of complications were evaluated for each patient.

Results

The mean age of the patients were 39.6 years. Glomus tumor was observed to be subungual in all patients. Two of the lesions were in the thumb, 3 were in the index finger, 3 were in the middle finger, and 1 was in the fourth finger. The common complaint in all patients was pain in the finger and the nail and tenderness. Cold intolerance was prominent in 4 patients. There was blue discoloration in 2 patients and protuberance and deformation of the nail was observed in 3 patients. The average time between the initiation of the symptoms and the diagnosis was 10.7 months. No erosion in the bony segment of the distal phalanx was present in plain radiography except 1 patient. The masses were observed in the Magnetic Resonance imaging. In 8 of the 9 patients the diagnosis was made clinically and radiologically, and only one patient was diagnosed clinically. All patients received surgical treatment. No recurrence was observed in the 12 month follow-up period. Minimal nail deformities were observed in 4 patients postoperatively.

Conclusion

In cases of severe pain localized in the finger, especially fingertip, of unknown cause, glomus tumor should be suspected as a prediagnosis. MRI is the most important step in the diagnosis of the mass.