Abstract
Background
Subungual glomus tumors, while benign and straightforward to surgically remove, present unique considerations due to their location and the potential esthetic outcomes of the surgical procedure. Accurate diagnosis is vital, and this study shows a retrospective analysis of clinical and radiological diagnostic methods for these tumors in a single center.
Methods
Our study included 28 patients who underwent surgery under the preliminary diagnosis of subungual glomus tumor. We analyzed the correlation between clinical signs, diagnostic tests, and radiological methods, focusing on their sensitivity and specificity.
Results
The results indicated a high sensitivity for Love’s pin test and Doppler USG and MRI examinations, but their specificity was low. On the other hand, plain radiography, cold ıntolerance, and Hildreth’s test showed the highest specificity with lower sensitivity. Furthermore, solely nail deformities may lead to inaccurate diagnoses, and 14% of our patients underwent surgery with incorrect indications.
Conclusions
The study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive diagnostic approach, employing both highly sensitive tests and highly specific tools, and underscores the importance of a thorough informed consent process given the risks of postoperative nail deformities and unnecessary surgeries. Further research with larger cohorts is needed to better understand and manage these tumors.
Level of evidence: Level IV, Therapeutic
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article. The raw data supporting the conclusions of this study are not publicly available due to MIA-med (local Hospital Information Management System) policies and obligations to maintain patient confidentiality. Researchers interested in the data may directly contact the authors; however, data may only be shared within the boundaries of ethical and legal restrictions.
References
Bhaskaranand K, Navadgi BC (2002) Glomus tumour of the hand. J Hand Surg Br 27(3):229–231
Morey VM, Garg B, Kotwal PP (2016) Glomus tumours of the hand: review of literature. J Clin Orthop Trauma 7(4):286–291
Civan O et al (2020) Glomus tumors of the nail bed: topographic anatomy and an algorithmic approach based on the topography. Handchir Mikrochir Plast Chir 52(3):202–206
McDermott EM, Weiss AP (2006) Glomus tumors. J Hand Surg Am 31(8):1397–1400
Espinosa-Gutierrez A et al (2009) Images in rheumatology. Glomus tumor J Rheumatol 36(6):1343–1344
Netscher DT, Aburto J, Koepplinger M (2012) Subungual glomus tumor. J Hand Surg Am 37(4):821–3 quiz 824
Vasisht B et al (2004) Digital glomus tumors: a 29-year experience with a lateral subperiosteal approach. Plast Reconstr Surg 114(6):1486–1489
Chou T et al (2016) Glomus tumor: twenty-year experience and literature review. Ann Plast Surg 76(Suppl 1):S35-40
Baek HJ et al (2010) Subungual tumors: clinicopathologic correlation with US and MR imaging findings. Radiographics 30(6):1621–1636
Lee W et al (2015) Glomus tumor of the hand. Arch Plast Surg 42(3):295–301
Theumann NH et al (2002) Recurrent glomus tumors of fingertips: MR imaging evaluation. Radiology 223(1):143–151
Chen SH et al (2003) The use of ultrasonography in preoperative localization of digital glomus tumors. Plast Reconstr Surg 112(1):115–9 discussion 120
Grover C, Jayasree P, Kaliyadan F (2021) Clinical and onychoscopic characteristics of subungual glomus tumor: a cross-sectional study. Int J Dermatol 60(6):693–702
Kim YB et al (2023) High-resolution ultrasonography is a more useful primary diagnostic tool than magnetic resonance imaging for subungual glomus tumors: a single-center retrospective study. Archives Hand Microsurg 28(1):33–38
Takemura N, Fujii N, Tanaka T (2006) Subungual glomus tumor diagnosis based on imaging. J Dermatol 33(6):389–393
Van Geertruyden J et al (1996) Glomus tumours of the hand. A retrospective study of 51 cases. J Hand Surg Br 21(2):257–60
Giele H (2002) Hildreth’s test is a reliable clinical sign for the diagnosis of glomus tumours. J Hand Surg Br 27(2):157–158
Rohrich RJ, Hochstein LM, Millwee RH (1994) Subungual glomus tumors: an algorithmic approach. Ann Plast Surg 33(3):300–304
Funding
This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical approval
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Clinical Research Ethics Committee (05/02/2021, No: 2021–01). The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki statement for medical research involving human subjects.
Consent to participate
Informed consent was obtained from all of the participants in this study.
Consent for publication
Written consents regarding publishing their data and images were obtained from all patients included in the study.
Conflict of interest
Mustafa Akyurek and Gunes Hafiz declare no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Akyurek, M., Hafiz, G. Retrospective analysis of clinical findings and radiologic diagnostic methods of subungual glomus tumor: a single-center study. Eur J Plast Surg 46, 1247–1253 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-023-02123-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-023-02123-8