A voluminous glomus tumor of the leg

Glomus tumor-induced lower extremity pain: A case report

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Glomus tumor is a rare small benign perivascular tumor, which develops from the glomus body located in the reticular dermis.

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The pain caused by glomus tumor could be easily mistaken to lower extremity pain whether it is radiating, sciatic, or just a localized one.

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A localized thermoregulator subcutaneous tumor could generate paroxysmal pain and sensitivity to pressure which is feigned as chronic radiating pain.

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A thorough examination is the key to a proper diagnosis of uncommon locations of the tumor.

Introduction

Glomus tumor located in the lower limb could be easily mistaken as lower extremity pain whether it is radiating, sciatic, or just a localized one. This could lead to misdiagnosis and improper management.

Presentation of case

This case reported a 56-year-old man complaining of pain in his left thigh. The pain was characterized as sharp and sometimes radiated to the skin of the calf muscles region. There was no history of trauma. Physical examination of the left thigh region revealed a small and barely palpable deep subcutaneous mass. Ultrasound examination showed a 6 × 5.3 mm partly cystic subcutaneous mass in the posteromedial region of the left distal femur. Doppler USG showed that the blood flow in the cystic lesion originated from the medial genicular artery. Surgical tumor excision through the medial femoral approach exposed a 15 × 10 × 5 mm yellowish-white thin encapsulated subdermal tumor attached to the vascular wall. Histopathology examination resulted in a Glomus Tumor.

Discussion

Glomus tumor usually occurs in areas that are rich in glomus bodies. Thigh is not a specific location for glomus bodies. It presented as bluish small nodule that are sensitive to touch and temperature changes. Glomus tumors in the thigh region rarely recurs since they are solitary and encapsulated, making them easily recognizable from the surrounding tissue during the operation.

Conclusion

Meticulous history taking, physical examination, and imaging modalities are necessary to differentiate between tumor and non-tumor lesions in less common areas.

Glomus tumor of the leg: a case report

Glomus tumors are uncommon benign tumors developing from the neuro-myo-arterial glomus body. They are typically located in the fingers. The extra-digital involvement is unusual and makes diagnosis difficult. Only few cases have been reported in literature. We report an exceptional case of a glomus tumor of the lower leg in a 65-year-old male. The diagnosis was clinically suspected and confirmed by a biopsy. Surgical excision gave immediate pain relief. The aim of this report is to make the surgical community more aware of this entity based on the analysis of our own experience and a review of the literature.

Color Doppler Sonography of Extradigital Glomus Tumors

We retrospectively collected cases of surgically proven extradigital glomus tumor (EDGT) and reviewed their demographic, clinical, and sonography features. A total of 18 single, subcutaneous EDGTs were gathered. All but one were located in the extremities. EDGTs typically appear as a small, hypoechoic, homogeneous, or slightly inhomogeneous, well-delimited nodule, disposed horizontally and painful under probe pressure. Intranodular vascularization is always present. Feeding artery and efferent vein are typical but inconstant findings.