Glomus Tumor of the Stomach Presenting With Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Case Report

Solitary Glomus Tumor on the Base of the Right Thumb: A Rare Case Report and a Literature Review from Saudi Arabia

A glomus tumor (GT) is a rare and usually benign tumor that originates from the glomus body, which is involved in thermoregulation in the skin. Solitary or multiple, digital or extra-digital, these cutaneous tumors can be benign or malignant. This report describes the diagnosis and surgical management of a solitary glomus tumor at the base of the right thumb in a young Sudanese woman. The diagnosis of glomus tumor was confirmed by medical history, sonographic findings and histopathological report. The lesion was excised via direct complete excision under local anesthesia, resulting in a complete resolution of symptoms. Owing to its high sensitivity level, the use of ultrasound is appropriate to evaluate a lesion suspected to be a glomus tumor. A clinician needs to take into consideration the likelihood of glomus tumors when assessing a patient who has a skin lesion on fingers, toes, or extra-digital area, with pain triggered by temperature changes, pressure, or touch. Additionally, this report includes a review of recent globally reported cases of glomus tumor in the hand to highlight the distinctiveness of this report in context to its atypical location in the area of the thenar eminence and underscoring it as a unique report of its kind from Saudi Arabia.

A 65-Year-Old Man Presenting to the Emergency Department with Gastric Hemorrhage Caused by a Glomus Tumor

BACKGROUND Glomus tumor is a benign but rapidly growing mesenchymal tumor that is a rare in the gastrointestinal tract, can be locally invasive due to its rapid growth, and can result in perforation of a viscus. We report a 65-year-old man presenting as an emergency with gastric hemorrhage and gastric glomus tumor. CASE REPORT A 65-year-old man came to our hospital for a life-threatening upper digestive hemorrhage. The preoperative examinations (digestive endoscopy without sampling of biopsy fragments and contrast-enhanced computer tomography) led to the presumptive diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Wedge resection of the gastric wall was performed. The histopathological examinations revealed a proliferation of round-oval cells of medium size with a solid disposition and in nests. This proliferation dissected the muscular tunic and caused ulceration of the gastric mucosa. Immunohistochemical tests confirmed the diagnosis of glomus tumor and excluded other diagnoses (neuroendocrine tumor or gastrointestinal stromal tumor). The postoperative evolution was favorable, and at the time of discharge, the biochemical test values normalized. CONCLUSIONS Pathologists are faced with a challenging task due to the deceptive appearance that can be presented by such a rare tumor. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations are essential in achieving a precise diagnosis and assessing the biological potential of the glomus tumor. Even if it is a benign tumor, the clinical picture it causes can still be a major risk to the patient's life. Consequently, ensuring effective case management becomes crucial, as it requires a thorough comprehension of all conditions encompassed in the differential diagnosis.