Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery (Asia Pacific)

Register      Login

SEARCH WITHIN CONTENT

FIND ARTICLE

Volume / Issue

Online First

Archive
Volume  11 (2024)
Volume  10 (2023)
Volume  9 (2022)
Volume  8 (2021)
Volume  7 (2020)
Volume  6 (2019)
Volume  5 (2018)
Volume  4 (2017)
Volume  3 (2016)
Volume  2 (2015)
Volume  1 (2014)
Related articles

VOLUME 9 , ISSUE 1 ( January-March, 2022 ) > List of Articles

CASE REPORT

Diagnostic Dilemma of Subungual Glomus Tumor of Great Toe: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Anjul Verma, Rakesh Parmar, Inder Pawar, Shashank Agarwal

Keywords : Classical triad, En Bloc, Glomus tumor

Citation Information : Verma A, Parmar R, Pawar I, Agarwal S. Diagnostic Dilemma of Subungual Glomus Tumor of Great Toe: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. J Foot Ankle Surg Asia-Pacific 2022; 9 (1):35-39.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10040-1145

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 31-12-2021

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2022; The Author(s).


Abstract

Background: Glomus tumor is a benign neoplasm also known as angioneuromyoma, arising from glomus bodies which are specialized structures for thermoregulation.1 Solitary benign glomus tumors are small, usually <1.0 cm in size and they pose a diagnostic dilemma.2,3 They usually present with a classical triad of spontaneous pain, pressure tenderness, and cold hypersensitivity. Case description: A 37-year-old woman presented to us with complaints of pain and temperature sensitivity, in left great toe with difficulty in wearing shoes from the last 5 years. X-rays and blood investigations were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done and showed T1 hypointense, T2 hyperintensity, and subtle bone expansion with the possibility of glomus tumor. En bloc removal of the lesion was done and a histopathological report confirmed it to be a glomus tumor. The patient was asymptomatic after 3 weeks of surgery. Discussion: The purpose of this case report is to make the orthopedic surgeon aware of the possibility of glomus tumor as a differential of chronic toe pain.

HTML PDF Share
  1. Mohindra M, Sambandam B, Gautam VK, et al. A rare case of glomus tumor of the great toe: an analysis of Behavior at this rare site. Foot Ankle Spec 2016;9(1):83–87. DOI: 10.1177/1938640015578517.
  2. Sprinkle 3rd RLB, Sangueza OP, Schwartz GA. Glomus tumor of the toe. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2017;107(3):257–260. DOI: 10.7547/15-161.
  3. Gombos Z, Zhang PJ. Glomus tumor. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2008;132(9):1448–1452.
  4. Gencoglan G, Dereli T, Kazandi AC. Subungual glomus tumor: surgical and histopathologic evaluation. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 2011;30(1):72–74. DOI: 10.3109/15569527.2010.521224.
  5. Perivascular tumors. in: Enzinger FM, Weiss SW, ed. Enzinger and Weiss's Soft Tissue Tumors. 4th ed., Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby; 2001. p. 985.
  6. Sapuan J, Paul AG, Abdullah S. Glomus tumor in the second toe: a clinical insight. J Foot Ankle Surg 2008;47(5):483–486. DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2008.05.008.
  7. Strahan J, Bailie HW. Glomus tumour. A review of 15 clinical cases. Br J Surg 1972;59(2):91–93. DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800590204.
  8. Kreel L, Thornton A, Pardy BJ. Glomus tumour of the hallux: diagnosis by doppler-shift ultrasound and digital subtraction angiography. Postgrad Med J 1986;62(729):647–651. DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.62.729.647.
  9. Luis LR, Kaoru GR, Shemuel PB, et al. Lower extremity glomus tumors: comprehensive review for surgeons. Vascular 2008;16(6):326–332. DOI: 10.2310/6670.2008.00064.
  10. Lui TH, Mak SM. Glomus tumor of the great toe. J Foot Ankle Surg 2014;53(3):360–363. DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2013.05.011.
  11. Miyano JA, Fitzgibbons TC. Glomangioma of the ankle simulating injury to the flexor hallucis longus: a case report. Foot Ankle Int 1996;17(12):768–770. DOI: 10.1177/107110079601701210.
  12. Pater TJ, Marks RM. Glomus tumor of the hallux: case presentation and review of the literature. Foot Ankle Int 2004;25(6):434–437. DOI: 10.1177/107110070402500614.
  13. Sun BG, Yun-tao W, Jia-zhen L. Glomus tumours of the hand and foot. Int Orthop 1996;20(6):339–341.
  14. Tsuchie H, Okada K, Nagasawa H, et al. Glomus tumor of the toe with symptoms similar to those of Morton's disease. J Orthop Sci 2009;14(6):826–829. DOI: 10.1007/s00776-009-1387-y.
  15. Assmus H, Dombert T. Glomus tumours of the extremities: localisation and operative treatment in 36 cases. Handchir Mikrochir Plast Chir 2002;34(2):103–107. DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-32308.
  16. Carroll RE, Berman AT. Glomus tumours of the hand: review of the literature and report on twenty-eight cases. J Bone Jt Surg Am 1972;54(4):691–703. DOI: 10.2106/00004623-197254040-00001.
  17. Horst F, Nunley JA. Technique tip: glomus tumors in the foot: a new surgical technique for removal. Foot Ankle Int 2003;24(12):949–951. DOI: 10.1177/107110070302401215.
  18. Wood W. On painful subcutaneous tubercle. Edinburg Med Surg J 1812;8(31):283–291.
  19. Masson P. Le glomus neuromyoarterial des regions tactile et ses tumors. Lyon Chir 1924;21:257.
  20. Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Nervous System, In: Fletcher CDM, Unni K, Meretens F, ed. 1st ed., Lyon, France: IARC Press; 2002. pp 136–137.
  21. Takemura N, Fujii N, Tanaka T. Subungual glomus tumor diagnosis based on imaging. J Dermatol 2006;33(6):389–393. DOI: 10.1111/j.1346-8138.2006.00092.x.
  22. Maxwell GP, Curtis RM, Wilgis EF. Multiple digital glomus tumors. J Hand Surg 1979;4(4):363–367. DOI: 10.1016/S0363-5023(79) 80076-3.
  23. McDermott EM, Weiss AP. Glomus tumors. J Hand Surg 2006;31(8):1397–1400. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2006.05.018.
  24. Drapé JL, Idy-Peretti I, Goettmann S, et al. Subungual glomus tumors: evaluation with MR imaging. Radiology 1995;195(2):507–515. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.195.2.7724775.
  25. Moor EV, Goldberg I, Westreich M. Multiple glomus tumor: a case report and review of the literature. Ann Plast Surg 1999;43(4):436–438. DOI: 10.1097/00000637-199910000-00016.
  26. Fleegler EJ, Zeinowicz RJ. Tumors of the perionychium. Hand Clin 1990;6(1):113–133, discussion 135, 116.
  27. Khoury T, Balos L, McGrath B, et al. Malignant glomus tumor: a case report and review of literature, focusing on its clinicopathological features and immunohistochemical profile. Am J Dermatopathol 2005;27(5):428–431. DOI: 10.1097/01.dad.0000148281.96494.d4.
  28. Folpe AL, Fanburg–Smith JC, Miettinen M, et al. Atypical and malignant glomus tumors: analysis of 52 cases, with a proposal for the reclassification of glomus tumors. Am J Surg Pathol 2001;251(1):1–12. DOI: 10.1097/00000478-200101000-00001.
  29. BaoGuo S, Yuntao W, Jiazhen L. Glomus tumors of the hand and foot. Int Orthopaedics 1996;20(6):339–341. DOI: 10.1007/s002640050092.
  30. Coughlin M, Mann R, Saltzman ChL. Surg Foot Ankle 2007;14:750.
  31. Van Geertruyden J, Lorea P, Goldschmidt D, et al. Glomus tumours of the hand: a retrospective study of 51 cases. J Hand Surg 1996;21(2):257–260. DOI: 10.1016/S0266-7681(96)80110-0.
  32. Trehan SK, Soukup DS, Mintz DN, et al. Glomus tumors in the foot: case series. Foot Ankle Spec 2015;8(6):460–465. DOI: 10.1177/1938640015583514.
  33. Koti M, Bhattacharryya R, Ewen SWB, et al. Subungual glomus tumor of the hallux: a case report. Acta Orthop Belg 2001;67(3):297–299.
  34. Seo JH, Lee HS, Kim SW, et al. Subungual glomus cell proliferation in the toe: a case report. J Foot Ankle Surg 2014;53(5):628–630. DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2014.03.004.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.