Multiple glomus tumors of the stomach with intravascular spread

A case of malignant gastric glomus tumor and literature review: A case report

RATIONALE

Malignant gastric glomus tumor (GGT) is an extremely rare malignant tumor of mesenchymal origin, it affects the patient's health and even threatens life. Malignant GGT with vascular invasion is even more rarely reported in the available literature without a prognostic study. So, in this case, we report a malignant GGT with vascular invasion and performed a 5-year postoperative follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of malignant GGT with vascular invasion without recurrence 5 years after surgery. This provides examples and lessons for the treatment of malignant GGT with vascular invasion.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 49-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with gallbladder stones found on health check. After completing abdominal CT and ultrasound gastroscopy, a mass in the gastric antrum was found.

DIAGNOSES

The diagnosis of malignant GGT was confirmed by combination of postoperative pathology with positive immunohistochemistry for SMA, vimentin, synaptophysin, H-caldesmon, and calponin, mitosis > 10/50 HPF and moderate-to-severe nuclear atypia.

INTERVENTIONS

On the 6th day of hospitalization, the patient underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and cholecystectomy.

OUTCOMES

The patient was discharged successfully 1 week after surgery and was followed up for 5 years without recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Malignant GGT can be asymptomatic. For malignant GGT without distant metastasis, despite the presence of vascular invasion, negative margin surgery can still be the standard surgical radical treatment.

A Rare Tumor of Intravascular Myopericytoma in the Right Renal Vein

Myopericytoma, a perivascular myoid neoplasm, is commonly found in the dermis or subcutaneous tissues; however, its occurrence in visceral organs is unusual. Here, we present an extremely rare tumor of intravascular myopericytoma of the right renal vein. A 44-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed with a mass in the right kidney during a routine checkup. A nephrectomy was performed because the urologist suspected renal cancer. A gross examination of the resected specimen revealed a well-circumscribed brown mass in the renal hilum. Histologically, the tumor showed a concentric multilayered proliferation of spindle cells surrounding blood vessels. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the spindle-shaped tumor cells were negative for desmin but positive for α-smooth muscle actin and h-caldesmon, indicating their myoid nature. We confirmed that the tumor was located in the right renal vein because it was encased within a thick wall that was desmin-positive and contained elastic fibers, as shown by Elastica van Gieson staining. The patient was diagnosed with an intravascular myopericytoma of the right renal vein. There are several differential diagnoses for renal mesenchymal tumors, including angiomyolipoma. This emphasizes the importance of considering these uncommon tumors when examining nephrectomy specimens.

Clinicopathologic features of gastric glomus tumor: A report of 15 cases and literature review

Objective: Glomus tumor is a relatively uncommon soft tissue neoplasm predominantly occurring in upper extremity (fingers), less reported in stomach. This study aimed to discuss the clinicopathologic features of gastric glomus tumor (GGT) and then provide reference for clinical practice. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all cases pathologically diagnosed of GGT was performed, pathological findings were correlated with clinical information, immunohistochemical studies, next-generation sequencing, and patient follow-ups. A review of literature by searching similar cases was conducted to summarize previous knowledge of GGTs. Results: Our study identified 15 GGTs included 5 males and 10 females, aged between 35-75 years old (median, 49 years old). The tumor was located to the gastric corpus in 6 cases (40%) and to the antrum in 9 cases (60%). The maximum tumor diameter ranged between 1-4 cm (median, 1.5 cm). There were 11 cases (73%) of solid glomus tumor, 3 cases (20%) of mixture of solid glomus tumor and glomangioma, and 1 case (7%) of glomangiomyoma. Partial spindle cell area was observed in 3 cases (20%), moderate cellular atypia in 1 case (7%), atypical mitosis in 1 case (7%), vascular invasion in 5 cases (33%), neural invasion in 6 cases (40%) and tumor necrosis in 1 case (7%). Tumor cells expressed Collagen type IV, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and synaptophysin in most cases. The Ki67 index varied from 1% to 30%. Next-generation sequencing reported EGFR, PIK3CA, KEAP1 and TP53 mutation. The outcome information was obtained in 12 (80%) cases, followed for 6-63 months, 11 patients (92%) had tumor-free survival and 1 patient (8%) developed liver metastasis 26 months after surgery. Literature review obtained 16 previously reported malignant GGT cases. In terms of the total 31 cases, univariate analysis revealed that the atypical mitosis (OS: p = 0.009; DFS: p = 0.010) and severe cellular atypia (OS: p = 0.007; DFS: p = 0.004) were significantly associated with poor prognosis (patient death). Conclusion: GGT is indolent, while long-term close follow-up should be required in the presence of increasing number of risk factors. Malignant GGT is relatively uncommon and predisposes to liver metastasis, calling for accumulation of large-sample data and experience.

Gastric glomus tumor presenting with massive upper GI bleeding: A challenging to diagnose and treat tumor

Glomus tumors are infrequent benign tumors that originate from the glomus body and can be found anywhere in the body including the gastrointestinal tract. It is rare that gastric glomus tumors present with life-threatening upper GI bleeding. Diagnosis of gastric glomus tumors poses a challenge due to overlapping endoscopic and endosonographic features with other gastric subepithelial lesions, and the final diagnosis may not be clear until after surgical resection and pathological examination. We report the case of a 61-year-old patient who presented with massive upper GI bleeding secondary to an ulcerated gastric glomus tumor that was eventually treated with surgical wedge resection of the tumor.

Glomus Tumor of the Duodenum

Glomus tumor is a benign tumor derived from the vascular wall of the arteriovenous anastomosis complex. Glomus tumors in the gastrointestinal tract are rare, especially those in the duodenum. Most gastrointestinal glomus tumors are found incidentally on endoscopy during routine health checkup and sometimes because of bleeding. We experienced a case of duodenal glomus tumor diagnosed after surgical resection of an incidental subepithelial tumor in the duodenum. Herein, we report the characteristic endoscopic ultrasonography, contrast-enhanced CT, and histopathological findings of duodenal glomus tumor.

Gastric Glomus Tumor: A Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study of 21 Cases

Gastric glomus tumors (GGTs) are rare mesenchymal tumors. Most glomus tumors occur in the distal parts of the extremities. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the features of GGTs from two institutions. The histologic and clinical findings of all GGT cases from 2009 to 2018 were reviewed. The most common location was the antrum, the mean age of patients was 49.3 years, and the mean tumor size was 2.1 cm. Microscopically, small, round cell nodules surrounded the expansion of blood vessels in a nest pattern. Immunohistochemical assays for vimentin and smooth muscle actin (SMA) were positive, and assays for H-caldesmon and calponin were partially positive. GGT is rare and easily misdiagnosed before operation. However, immunohistochemistry is useful for the differential diagnosis. The majority of GGTs are benign, and local surgery achieving complete resection is the most effective treatment method.

Glomus tumor of the stomach

Glomus tumor is a rare benign mesenchymal neoplasm derived from the glomus body, an arteriovenous shunt mainly located in dermis and subcutis. The most common localization of this tumor is extremities, especially nailbed. Glomus tumor in the gastrointestinal system is a rare condition. Here we report a gastric glomus tumor to raise awareness of this tumor and show the difficulties in the diagnosis.

A gastric glomus tumor resected using non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery

Gastric glomus tumors are extremely rare, constituting approximately 1% of gastric mesenchymal tumors. We report the case of a 45-year-old female patient in whom upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a 3-cm submucosal tumor with a bridging fold in the posterior wall of the antrum of the stomach. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed the tumor to be hypervascular in the arterial phase and exhibit continuous enhancement in the post-venous phase. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed that the tumor was hypervascular in the early phase and persistently enhanced in the late phase. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a mosaic echo pattern. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy was performed. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the tumor was positive for α-smooth muscle actin and synaptophysin, but negative for CD56, chromogranin A and C-kit. Furthermore, 1-2% of the tumor cell nuclei were Ki-67-positive. Thus, the preoperative diagnosis was a benign glomus tumor. The patient then underwent non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery (NEWS), and the tumor was completely resected. In conclusion, NEWS is an effective method for the treatment of gastric glomus tumors.

Long-term survival case of malignant glomus tumor mimicking "dumbbell-shaped" neurogenic tumor

PURPOSE

We report a very rare case of long-term survival case of malignant glomus tumor (MGT) without widespread metastasis.

STUDY PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-three-year-old woman who experienced multiple relapses over a 40-year period beginning with a scapular lesion since she was at age 21.

RESULTS

After four local recurrences, the patient underwent wide resection of the scapula at age 36. Thirteen years later, the patient had a neck tumor at the same side with the scapulectomy. The tumor was originated from the C6 spinal nerve and was resected. Twelve years after the surgery, the cervical tumor relapsed with myelopathy at age 61. The tumor infiltrated from the extraspinal canal to the intraspinal canal at the C5/C6 foramen and appeared as a dumbbell-like tumor. Furthermore, the local recurrence occurred 2 years after the operation at age 63. The tumors that were detected at age 36 and age 63 were confirmed to be histologically identical. Those were more than 2 cm in size and arose from a deep location. The basement membrane stained positively for collagen type IV and α-smooth muscle actin on immunohistochemistry. Based on these aspects, the tumor was diagnosed as an MGT.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first case report of MGT which lesions at two time points were confirmed to have common histological features and which confirmed the long-term survival over a 40-year period.

Incidental gastric glomus tumor after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Gastric glomus tumors (GGTs) are unusual benign, subepithelial, mesenchymal neoplasms of modified smooth muscle cells representing a neoplastic counterpart of glomus bodies. A 38-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic presenting morbid obesity. Routine preoperative evaluations, such as laboratory analysis, abdominal ultrasonography, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, were performed. She underwent a classical laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). The postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged for outpatient control. Her histopathology report revealed a GGT 0.8 cm in diameter. No further treatment was done and she had lost 28 kg at the postoperative sixth month. Here, we present the case of GGT, which was diagnosed incidentally after LSG.

Multiple Glomus Tumors of the Omentum

A glomus tumor is a very rare neoplasm consisting of cells that resemble the modified smooth muscle cells of normal glomus bodies. Here, we report a case of a 39-year-old male with multiple omental glomus tumors. The patient underwent a complete resection of the glomus tumors. This is a rare case of omental glomus tumors, and to our knowledge, this patient is the first with multiple omental glomus tumors to be described.

Glomus tumour of the colon: dynamic contrast-enhanced CT findings and review of the literature

We describe the peculiar enhancement pattern of a subepithelial colonic glomus tumour on dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Discontinuous, peripheral nodular enhancement of the colonic lesion followed by subsequent centripetal filling-in of contrast was reminiscent of a hepatic haemangioma, which has not been described with a glomus or any other subepithelial tumour of the colon. When encountered, this tumour enhancement pattern raises the possibility of a colonic glomus tumour prior to histological confirmation.

Computed tomography and clinical characteristics of gastric glomus tumors

OBJECTIVE

To provide a retrospective assessment of clinical characteristics of the patients with gastric glomus tumors and the imaging features of the tumors on multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT).

METHODS

Consecutive patients with gastric glomus tumor which was confirmed by postoperative pathology from January 2004 to January 2012 in a tertiary hospital were included in the study. The MDCT images and medical records of the patients including the imaging features of the tumor on MDCT such as its location, number, shape, growth pattern, size, density and enhancement pattern were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Altogether ten patients were included in the study, including seven women and three men, with a mean age of 46.6 years (range 25-67 years). Most patients had nonspecific clinical symptoms. All lesions were located at the gastric antrum, with a mean diameter of 2.7 cm. The gastric glomus tumor showed strong enhancement at the arterial phase, a progressive filled-in enhanced pattern and prolonged enhancement during multiphasic scans.

CONCLUSIONS

Gastric glomus tumor is clinically an extremely rare disease. The combination of tumor location, size and the characteristic enhancement pattern of the subepithelial lesion may suggest a diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor.

Intravenous glomus tumour of the upper arm

Glomus tumours are rare, benign tumours of the glomus body, most frequently located in the subungual region of digits, palms and soles, but they have been reported throughout the body. Our patient is a 65-year-old man who presented with a 3-year history of a very painful area on his left upper arm. The overlying skin was normal and there was no lesion to palpate, but the symptoms were very striking, warranting further investigation. An exploratory operation identified a prominent vein with a noticeable bulge in the vessel wall. The vein was ligated and excised. On dissection of the vein, a tumour was present within its lumen. Histological examination and immune profile of the tumour confirmed an intravascular glomus tumour. Following surgical excision, symptoms resolved.

Sellar glomangioma

Glomus tumors of the sellar region are exceedingly rare with only two reported cases in the literature. A case of a sellar glomangioma in a 72-year-old man is described. The tumor had the radiographic and gross appearance of a pituitary adenoma. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of epithelioid cells surrounding prominent small vascular channels. The tumor cells had indistinct cell borders and monotonous nuclei. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis identified the sellar tumor as a glomangioma. Here, we report the clinicopathological features of a third case of a sellar glomus tumor and review the literature.

Selected unusual tumors of the stomach: a review

Several unusual stomach tumors have been recently described. In addition, some tumors that are often encountered in other sites may rarely occur as primary gastric tumors. The diagnostic surgical pathologist needs to be aware of some of these lesions to prevent misdiagnosis. This overview discusses the key clinical features, pathology, immunohistochemistry, and relevant molecular findings of multiple minute gastrointestinal stromal tumors and interstitial cell of Cajal hyperplasia, nerve sheath tumors (schwannoma and perineurioma), gastroblastoma, granular cell tumor, glomus tumor, plexiform angiomyxoid myofibroblastic tumor, and primary clear cell sarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract that occur as primary gastric neoplasms.

Immunophenotypic analysis of glomus coccygeum associated with coccygodynia

OBJECTIVE

Glomus coccygeum is a glomus body which is found in the pericoccygeal soft tissue. This specialised arteriovenous anastomosis is a non-pathological vestigial structure usually larger than its equivalent in the distal extremities. Its prevalence is uncertain. Glomus coccygeum has been associated with coccygodynia and can cause diagnostic problems to pathologists unfamiliar with this entity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The presence of a glomus coccygeum was sought in 40 coccygectomy specimens and correlated with clinical, radiological and histological findings.

RESULTS

A glomus coccygeum was identified in 13 samples (35%). Glomus cells expressed smooth muscle actin (SMA) and were negative for desmin, S100, cytokeratin and a wide range of vascular markers. Proliferative activity was low. Pre-operative MRI did not identify these tiny lesions, and most patients with coccygodynia did not have a glomus coccygeum.

CONCLUSION

Glomus coccygeum is a common microanatomical structure which can be distinguished from glomus and other tumours by its small size, SMA expression and low proliferative activity.

Glomus tumor of the stomach: a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Introduction. Glomus tumors (GTs) are benign neoplasm originating from the glomus body, commonly described in subungual region. The involvement abdominal is rare. Our aim is to describe a case of glomus tumor of the stomach that presented upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A 34-year-old woman was admitted with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and underwent an upper endoscopy that showed bleeding arising from an ulcerated lesion, treated by sclerosis therapy. A new endoscopy confirmed a submucosal lesion in upper portion of the stomach. During the laparotomy, a tumor at the upper anterior wall of gastric body was found and resected by a vertical gastrectomy. The pathological exam revealed hyperplastic smooth muscle fibers of the muscularis propria of the stomach wall, surrounded by hyaline stroma. The immunohistochemistry panel was positive for smooth muscle actin and type IV collagen, with low rate of mitosis studied by Ki-67 which allowed the final diagnosis of a gastric glomus tumor. Discussion. The majority of intraperitoneal glomus tumors occur in the stomach, and it is phenotypically similar to those localized in peripheral sites. Gastric GT generally is a benign tumor although it can be malignant and have the potential to metastasize. Conclusion. Even though gastric glomus tumor is rarely described, it should be considered as a possible cause of a major upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Malignant glomus tumour: a case report and review of the literature

Purpose: Glomus tumours are characteristically benign solitary tumours. At our knowledge, about 23 reports are present in literature regarding the malignant counterpart, but only a minority developed metastases. We describe a locally aggressive glomus tumour with lymphnode metastasis.

Patient: The patient was a 40 year-old man presenting a 1.5-cm lesion on the right wrist incompletely excised and a recurrent tumour, 4 × 2 cm in size, removed after 9 months, for which he received radiotherapy. After 2 years he developed an axillary lymphnode metastasis.

Results: Histologically, both tumours (primary and metastasis) were similar. There were sheets and nests of uniform small cells with scant eosinophilic cytoplasm and round to polygonal nuclei; there was some degree of pleomorphism and the mitotic index was high (up to 18 m/10 HPF). The tumour cells were positive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin, but negative for desmin, NSE, Factor VIII, chromogranin, cytokeratin. Remarkably, in the primary, the cells strongly expressed p53 (70%) and MIB-1 (35%).

Discussions: In many reported malignant cases, the histology of the tumour cells suggested that they were malignant, yet the clinical course has been benign. Carefully reviewing the literature, it seems that actually we have enough histological criteria to identify the cases with biological adverse outcome. Those unfortunate cases behave as high grade sarcomas and therefore may deserve an aggressive therapeutic treatment.

Endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of gastric glomus tumors

BACKGROUND

Although gastric glomus tumors are usually benign lesions, occasional malignant transformation has been reported. Thus, complete resection of the gastric glomus tumor is necessary.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a better understanding of the endoscopic features of this rare entity with an emphasis on its diagnosis and treatment.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

SETTING

Academic medical center.

PATIENTS

Six patients (2 men, 4 women; median age 48 years) received a diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor and were treated.

INTERVENTIONS

Endoscopic diagnosis and resection.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Endoscopic features, resection success, adverse events, and follow-up endoscopy.

RESULTS

Gastric glomus tumors do not exhibit specific features on gastroscopy and EUS that distinguish them from other gastric submucosal tumors. Endoscopic submucosal enucleation was successful in 5 patients. In one patient, the operation had to be discontinued because of significant bleeding during the procedure. The mean tumor size was 19.8±6.2 mm (range 12-30 mm). Perforation occurred in 1 patient and was successfully managed with hemoclips. No local recurrence was observed during follow-up (mean duration 9±5.1 months, range 3-17 months).

LIMITATIONS

Small number of patients (N=6), limited follow-up, retrospective study.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnosis of gastric glomus tumors is difficult when based only on features derived from gastroscopy and EUS. Endoscopic submucosal enucleation is a feasible and safe procedure with which to diagnose and treat this lesion. However, further investigation and comparative studies are required to confirm the safety and efficacy of this method.

Immunohistochemical analysis and biological behaviour of gastric glomus tumours: a case report and review of the literature

Gastric glomus tumours are rare and clinically recognized as benign. Nevertheless, some show biological behaviour similar to that of malignant lesions. During the last 40 years, we have encountered only one gastric glomus tumour. Analysis of frozen sections of this tumour suggested a mesenchymal tumour with malignant potential. Three mitoses per 50 high-power fields, with no cytological abnormalities, were observed. Tumour cells were positive for α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin and actin but negative for CD117, S-100 protein, creatine kinase, desmin, CD68, collagen type IV, CD34 and p53. The post-operative period was uneventful. During 37 months' follow-up, no recurrence or metastasis was detected and a benign course was considered likely. Literature on the immunohistochemistry and biological behaviour of gastric glomus tumours was also reviewed. Immunohistochemical studies are helpful in the differential diagnosis of gastric glomus tumours: although most are benign, malignancy cannot be excluded. Thus, long-term follow-up of the patient is necessary.

Clinicopathological features of gastric glomus tumor

AIM: To study the clinicopathological features of gastric glomus tumor and review the related Chinese literature published in 1990-2010.

METHODS: A case of gastric glomus tumor was reported. Clinicopathological findings in 56 cases of gastric glomus tumor were analyzed.

RESULTS: Gastric glomus tumor was far more common in women than in men with a female to male ratio of 1.6:1. The median age of the patients was 45 years (range 28-79 years). The patients often complained of epigastric pain and bloody stool. The tumor was located in antrum of the stomach. The greatest diameter of the tumor was 0.8-11cm. Histologically, the tumor was comprised of nests of glomus cells surrounding the capillaries. Glomus cells were small, uniform and round. Vimentin, smooth muscle actin and actin were expressed in the tumor. Other markers, including S-100 protein, CD34, CD117, desmin, CD56, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase and cytokeratin were all negative.

CONCLUSION: Gastric glomus tumor is a rare benign mesenchymal neoplasm. Its diagnosis depends on pathologic examination. Differential diagnosis includes gastrointestinal stromal tumor, paraganglioma and carcinoid tumor.

Gastric glomus tumor: a case report

Gastric glomus tumors are rare mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. We describe a 72-year-old patient who presented with episodes of melena and was subsequently investigated for a tumor of the antrum of the stomach. Surgical resection revealed a 2 x 2 x 1.7 cm well circumscribed submucosal tumor, extending into the muscularis propria. The histopathologic examination of the specimen demonstrated a glomus tumor of the stomach. We discuss the preoperative investigation, the diagnostic problems and the surgical treatment of the patient with this rare submucosal lesion.

Plexiform fibromyxoma: a distinctive benign gastric antral neoplasm not to be confused with a myxoid GIST

A great majority of gastric mesenchymal tumors are gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). A rare group of non-GISTs include myxoid mesenchymal neoplasms. In this report, we describe 12 cases of a distinctive gastric tumor, named here as plexiform fibromyxoma. These tumors occurred in 5 men and 7 women of ages 7 to 75 years (median, 41 y). All tumors were located in the gastric antrum and 6 of them also extended into extragastric soft tissues or into the duodenal bulb. The tumors measured from 3 to 15 cm (median, 5.5 cm). Histologically typical was a plexiform intramural growth with multiple micronodules containing paucicellular to moderately cellular myxoid to collagenous and fibromyxoid neoplastic elements. A prominent, sometimes plexiform capillary pattern was typically present. Extramural components included subserosal nodules, and sometimes more cellular, solid nonplexiform spindle cell proliferation. The tumor cells varied from oval to spindled and had limited atypia and mitotic activity < 5/50 high-power fields. Frequent ulceration, mucosal invasion, and vascular invasion (4 cases) had no adverse significance in these tumors. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for alpha smooth muscle actin, and variably for CD10, and were consistently negative for KIT, DOG1, CD34, desmin, and S100 protein. No KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha mutations were present in the 3 examined cases. None of the 4 patients who were followed from 9 to 20 years (median, 19 y) developed recurrences or metastases. Additional 3 patients survived 14 to 25 years with unknown tumor status. Review of large numbers of mesenchymal tumors in the esophagus and intestines did not reveal similar tumors. Plexiform fibromyxoma is a distinctive benign gastric antral neoplasm that should be separated from GIST, nerve sheath tumors, and other fibromyxoid neoplasms.

Symplastic Glomangioma

Glomus tumors are neoplasms differentiating toward specialized cells found in the glomus body, a structure involved in thermoregulation. Although the vast majority is benign, the occurrence of malignant glomus tumors is well recognized. Criteria for prediction of malignant potential include a deep location, large size, infiltration, necrosis, and nuclear atypia. Symplastic glomus tumors are benign neoplasms showing striking nuclear pleomorphism in the absence of other malignant criteria. Recognition of this rare morphologic aberration would prevent an inadvertent diagnosis of malignancy.

Benign submucosal lesions of the stomach and duodenum: Imaging characteristics with endoscopic and pathologic correlation

Benign submucosal lesions of the stomach and duodenum are occasionally encountered during endoscopy. But endoscopy has its limitations in the diagnosis and differentiation of these lesions, because submucosal lesions are often difficult to visualize at endoscopy due to minimal change of the overlying mucosa. Furthermore, endoscopic biopsy may not always yield adequate tissue for diagnosis due to the submucosal location of the lesions. For this reason, the role of radiologic imaging is important in the diagnosis of submucosal lesions of the stomach and duodenum. Recent advances in computed tomography (CT) and sonographic technology are helpful in narrowing the differential diagnosis of gastroduodenal submucosal lesions. In contrast to endoscopy and barium studies, CT or ultrasonography (US) provides information about both the gastric wall and the extragastric extent of the disease. Arterial phase contrast enhanced CT enables us to discriminate a mass of submucosal from that of a mucosal origin in the differential diagnosis of gastric or duodenal lesions. Although endoscopic sonography has been considered the better modality in the diagnosis of gastroduodenal submucosal lesions, transabdominal sonography can still be an alternative method to endoscopic sonography in assessing of the origin and character of the submucosal lesions. Some gastroduodenal submucosal lesions have similar radiologic findings that make differentiation difficult. But despite overlaps in radiologic findings, some lesions have characteristic radiologic features that may suggest a specific diagnosis. Knowledge of the differential diagnosis of benign submucosal lesions in the stomach and duodenum may promote correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Glomus tumor of the kidney: a report of 3 cases involving renal parenchyma and review of the literature

Glomus tumor is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm affecting the subcutaneous tissue of the distal extremities in the majority of cases. It only rarely involves visceral organs. We report 3 cases of the glomus tumor family in the kidney, a solid glomus tumor, a glomangioma, and a glomangiomyoma. All 3 tumors involved the renal parenchyma and occurred in 3 men aged 36, 81, and 48 years, respectively. All 3 tumors were well-circumscribed and showed morphology otherwise identical to those seen in soft tissue. All 3 tumors were immunoreactive for actin and negative for desmin and S100 and only 1 tumor expressed CD34 in tumor cells. To date, all 3 tumors have followed a benign course without evidence of recurrence or metastasis. This report expands the spectrum of mesenchymal tumors of the kidney.

Cutaneous Epithelioid Angioleiomyoma With Clear-Cell Change

Epithelioid angioleiomyoma is rare in the skin and subcutis. We report here an unusual case of epithelioid angioleiomyoma with prominent clear-cell change. Smooth-muscle differentiation was confirmed by immunostains. The extensive clear-cell change in epithelial cells and the marked hyalinization and calcification made the histologic differential diagnosis challenging. Epithelioid angioleiomyoma shares some histologic characteristics with glomus tumors and seems to be an intermediate entity between angioleiomyomas and glomus tumors.

Gastric glomus tumor: a hypervascular submucosal tumor on power Doppler endosonography

Gastric glomus tumors are rare submucosal lesions that typically occur in the fourth endosonographic layer. We describe a 69-year-old patient who presented with intermittent epigastric pain and in whom a submucosal tumor was encountered during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endosonography revealed a heterogeneous, hypoechoic fourth-layer tumor. Power Doppler imaging revealed prominent intratumoral vascular signals demonstrating its hypervascular nature. A diagnosis of glomus tumor was made via histopathologic evaluation of the resected tumor.

A clinicopathologic study of glomus tumor of the stomach

Glomus tumors are benign lesions and originate from modified smooth muscle cells of the glomus body. These tumors are commonly observed in the dermis or subcutis, but only rarely found in the stomach. Here we report a case of a 67-year-old patient in whom glomus tumor of the stomach was diagnosed after 10-day history of melena. We have reviewed the 13 cases selected from literature of gastric glomus tumor in Korean, including our case. The age of onset ranged from 30 to 68 years (median 54 y) with a strong female dominance (10 females and 3 males). The tumors typically presented with gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcerlike symptom, and 6 tumors had mucosal ulceration. The tumor sizes varied from 1.2 to 3.8 cm (median 2.5 cm), and all tumors presented in antrum of stomach. Microscopically, the tumors were well-circumscribed, and composed of uniform, small, round to polygonal cells. Mitotic activity was usually low. The characteristics of gastric glomus tumors in Korean patients are very similar to those of Western populations. Although gastric glomus tumors can be considered more likely benign, a small possibility of malignant behavior cannot be ruled out.

Malignant Glomus Tumor

Malignant glomus tumor (MGT) is a rare, recently described neoplasm that recapitulates the appearance of the modified smooth cells of the normal glomus body. We report a case of MGT of the hand of a 48-year-old woman. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 2.8-cm, well circumscribed, enhancing mass on the volar aspect of the thenar region of the right hand in immediate continuity with the ulnar artery and nerve. Computed tomography scan (CT-Scan) of the chest was normal. Histologic evaluation revealed a multilobular lesion with prominent branching capillary vasculature and perivascular arrangement of sheets of tumor cells. The tumor cells were round, relatively uniform in size with distinct cell borders and perinuclear cytoplasmic clearing. They were of intermediate to high nuclear grade and showed significant mitotic activity. A wide local excision with negative margins was performed. Multiple lung metastases were evident at 8-month follow-up. To date, forty-five cases of MGT of skin and soft issue have been reported in the literature. Twelve of the forty-five cases developed metastasis. In this report, we emphasize the differential diagnosis of MGT in the skin and deep soft tissue.

Glomangiomyoma (Glomus Tumor) of the Kidney

We report herein a case of glomus tumor arising in the kidney of a 55-year-old woman, which was found incidentally on a computed tomographic scan. Partial nephrectomy revealed a 2-cm encapsulated mass that was architecturally similar to glomus tumor. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity of tumor cells for vimentin and smooth muscle actin. On electron microscopy, cytoplasmic thin filaments and dense bodies were seen, confirming the smooth muscle nature of the tumor. Glomus tumors arising in visceral organs are rare, and those arising in kidney are exceedingly rare.

Glomus tumor of the duodenum: a case report

We describe a rare case of glomus tumor of the duodenum. The tumor was detected in a 46-year-old man being investigated for episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding. The excised specimen showed a 2.3 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm gray-tan tumor involving the mucosa and the submucosa. The overlying mucosa was focally ulcerated. Histologically, the tumor had a solid pattern of sharply demarcated, round glomus cells with prominent pericytoma-like vessels of varying sizes. The neoplastic cells stained for vimentin, smooth muscle actin, and focally for synaptophysin. These histologic and immunohistochemical features are consistent with a diagnosis of glomus tumor of the duodenum.

Primary glomangioma of the liver: a case report and review of the literature

Glomangiomas are a subset of glomus tumors that have a rich vascular network. Although a majority of the glomus tumors occur in the skin of the hand, they have also been reported in the deep soft tissue, bone, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach. To our knowledge, only one such case has previously been reported primarily occurring in the liver. We report a case of a glomangioma primarily arising in the liver of a 57-year-old man who presented with right flank pain of several months' duration. A 3.0-cm hepatic mass was excised and consisted of numerous, small-to-medium branched vessels with the stroma containing small, round, regular cells with sharply outlined round-to-oval nuclei. Immunostains showed the tumor cells to be diffusely positive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin and to be focally positive for calponin. Collagen IV stained the pericellular matrix. The immunostain for CD34 highlighted the vascular network as well as outlined the tumor cells in many areas. Coexpression of actin and CD34 in glomus tumors, although unusual, has recently been reported in the literature. Despite its bland histology, the large tumor size and deep visceral location were suggestive of aggressive behavior; thus, a close clinical follow-up was recommended. The patient had an unremarkable postoperative course and has no evidence of metastatic disease 12 months after the procedure. An accurate diagnosis and an understanding the biology of this rare disease, especially in an unusual location, are crucial to its management.

Carcinoid tumors of the stomach

Interest in gastric carcinoid tumors has in recent time amplified considerably as the understanding of both their biological background and clinical significance has developed. The increase in identification associated with the widespread availability of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy has facilitated diagnosis. In addition concern related to the consequences of long-standing hypergastrinemia generated by the use of potent acid-suppressive medications has augmented both clinical and scientific focus on gastric neuro endocrine issues. The elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of the progenitor cell (ECL cell) of the gastric carcinoid tumor, the refinement of a pathological grading system for ECL cell proliferation, and the availability of specific immunohistologic identification techniques have further amplified the characterization of this lesion. Although the putative malignant potential of gastric carcinoids may ultimately be of only modest concern in a background of hypergastrinemia its relationship to gastric adenocarcinoma is still enigmatic and worthy of further consideration. This review will describe the molecular interrelationship between low-acid states, gastrin, and ECL cell proliferation and will discuss the pathological classification of the distinct types of gastric carcinoid tumors. In addition, the clinical rationale of current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies will be examined, providing a logical basis for the formulation of appropriate management strategies for patient care.

Sinonasal-type hemangiopericytoma: a clinicopathologic and immunophenotypic analysis of 104 cases showing perivascular myoid differentiation

Sinonasal-type hemangiopericytoma is an uncommon upper aerodigestive tract tumor of uncertain cellular differentiation. We report 104 cases of sinonasal-type hemangiopericytoma diagnosed between 1970 and 1995 from the files of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. There were 57 females and 47 males ranging in age from 5 to 86 years (mean 62.6 years). The most common clinical presentation was airway obstruction (n = 57) and/or epistaxis (n = 54), with symptoms averaging 10 months in duration. The tumors involved the nasal cavity alone (n = 47) or also a paranasal sinus (n = 26), were polypoid, and measured an average of 3.1 cm. Histologically, the tumors were submucosal and unencapsulated and showed a diffuse growth with fascicular (n = 37) to solid (n = 50) to focally whorled (n = 7) patterns. The tumor cells were uniform in appearance with minimal pleomorphism and had spindle-shaped (n = 82) to round/oval (n = 18) nuclei with vesicular to hyperchromatic chromatin and eosinophilic to amphophilic to clear-appearing cytoplasm with indistinct cell borders. Multinucleated (tumor) giant cells were identified in a minority of cases (n = 5). Mitotic figures were inconspicuous and necrosis was absent. The tumors were richly vascularized, including staghorn-appearing vessels that characteristically had prominent perivascular hyalinization (n = 92). An associated inflammatory cell infiltrate that included mast cells and eosinophils was noted in the majority of cases (n = 87). The immunohistochemical profile included reactivity with vimentin (98%), smooth muscle actin (92%), muscle specific actin (77%), factor XIIIa (78%), and laminin (52%). Surgery was the treatment of choice for all of the patients; adjunctive radiotherapy was given to four patients. Recurrences developed in 18 patients within 1-12 years from diagnosis. Ninety-seven patients were either alive (n = 51, mean 16.5 years) or dead (n = 46, mean 9.6 years) but free of disease. Four patients had disease at the last follow-up: three died with disease (mean 3.6 years) and one patient is alive with disease (28.3 years). Recurrent tumor (17.8%) can be managed by additional surgery. The majority of sinonasal-type hemangiopericytomas behave in a benign manner with excellent long-term prognosis (88% raw 5-year survival) following surgery alone. Sinonasal-type hemangiopericytomas have a characteristic light microscopic appearance with an immunophenotypic profile resembling that of glomus tumors.

Glomus tumor of the stomach: cytologic diagnosis by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration

The glomus tumor is usually a benign solitary neoplasm that arises from modified smooth muscle cells of the glomus body, a type of neuromyoarterial receptor that plays a role in the regulation of arterial blood flow. We report a case of gastric glomus tumor diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration. Smears exhibited groups of cohesive, uniform, small, round to polygonal cells with scant cytoplasm, indistinct cell borders, and round, hyperchromatic nuclei with homogeneous chromatin. The cell block contained fragments of cells with similar morphologic features and immunohistochemical staining exhibited positivity for smooth muscle actin and vimentin. The diagnosis was confirmed by the surgically resected specimen. Ultrastructural examination revealed prominent pinocytotic vesicles lining the plasmalemma. In this report, we discuss the differential diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor and compare the cytologic features of this case with two others reported in the literature.

Intranasal pericytic tumors (glomus tumor and sinonasal hemangiopericytoma-like tumor): report of two cases with review of the literature

An intranasal glomus tumor and a sinonasal hemangiopericytoma-like tumor are reported. Both patients were elderly women suffering from nasal bleeding, and presented with a polypoid mass arising in the nasal septum. Microscopically, the glomus tumor displayed a proliferation of uniform rounded or cuboidal epithelioid cells arranged in sheets and interrupted by a rich vasculature with a characteristic configuration mimicking the normal glomus bodies, while the sinonasal hemangiopericytoma-like tumor featured a perivascular proliferation of spindle- to oval-shaped cells that were arranged in short fascicles. Both tumors shared immunohistochemical features supporting their myoid differentiation by the expression of vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin and muscle-specific actin, albeit with no immunoreaction to desmin. Both the intranasal glomus tumor and sinonasal hemangiopericytoma-like tumor are characterized by a perivascular growth pattern and myoid differentiation, having a close relation to the 'perivascular myomas', which was recently designated.

Glomangiomyoma (glomus tumour) of the pancreas: a case report

Glomus tumours occur in many sites. We report the first case of a glomangiomyoma in the pancreas of a 17-year-old girl. The tumour was 5cm in diameter and consisted of rounded glomus cells, blood vessels and spindled smooth muscle cells. The glomus and smooth muscle tumour cells showed moderate diffuse cytoplasmic staining with vimentin, muscle-specific actin and smooth muscle actin. There was weak focal positivity for desmin in the spindle cell component only. The patient is alive and well with no evidence of recurrence 24 months after surgery.

Gastrointestinal glomus tumors: a clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic study of 32 cases

Glomus tumors usually occur in the peripheral soft tissues, but similar tumors have also been reported in the stomach and occasionally in the intestines. However, the relationship of these tumors to peripheral glomus tumors and gastrointestinal stromal tumors has not been fully clarified because previous series of gastrointestinal glomus tumors predate availability of immunohistochemistry. This clinicopathologic study examined 32 gastrointestinal glomus tumors. All but one of the tumors were located in the stomach and the remaining tumor was from the cecum. The tumors occurred with a strong female predominance (23 females and 9 males) and a median age of 55 years (range 19-90 years). The gastric tumors typically presented with gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcer-like symptoms, and 14 tumors had mucosal ulceration. Five tumors were incidental findings. The tumor sizes varied from 1.1 to 7 cm (median 2 cm), and most were located in the antrum. Histologically, the tumors typically had a solid pattern of sharply demarcated, round glomus cells with prominent, mildly dilated pericytoma-like vessels. Vascular invasion and focal atypia were relatively common (seen in 11 and 13 cases, respectively), and low mitotic activity (1-4 per 50 high power fields), was seen in 10 cases. Immunohistochemically, all tumors were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and calponin, and nearly all had a net-like pericellular laminin and collagen type IV positivity. All tumors were negative for desmin and S-100 protein. Three tumors had focal synaptophysin positivity, but none was positive for chromogranin. All tumors lacked KIT expression and the GIST-specific mutations in the c-kit gene. Follow-up revealed one patient death of metastatic disease to liver at 50 months; this tumor had 1 mitosis per 50 high power fields, but had spindle cell foci, mild atypia, and vascular invasion. Thirteen patients were well and alive after long-term follow-up. Gastrointestinal glomus tumors occur almost exclusively in the stomach, and they have a good overall prognosis, but a small, unpredictable potential for malignant behavior exists. These tumors are phenotypically similar to peripheral glomus tumors and differ from epithelioid GISTs.