Intraosseous Glomus Tumor: A Case Report

Cho, Se Hyun

Abstract

Glomus tumor has long been well known as a small and exceedingly painful lesion, which commonly occurs beneath the nails of the hands and feet. Its diagnostic characteristics are pain, tenderness and cold sensitivity. The tumor results from hypertrophy of a glomus, which is a normal structure of the skin, a coiled arteriovenous shunt whose function is to help regulate body temperature. About half of all glomus tumors produces bony lesion on radiographs and most of those lesions are cortical erosion by the nearby soft tissue tumor. Very rarely the tumor appears to have originated within the bone. It is difficult to decide the exact origin of a glomus tumor affecting bone. It is, however, important to point out that a glomus tumor can present as an intraosseous lesion from the radiological point of view as shown in this case.