Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Extradigital glomus tumor in the knee: excision with ultrasound guided needle localization

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Skeletal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Glomus tumors are rare neoplasms that are usually subungual in location, but can infrequently be found elsewhere in the body. When they occur in extradigital locations, they present a diagnostic challenge that may result in delay of definitive management. We report a case of a 51-year-old male who experienced decade long chronic pain because of a glomus tumor in the suprapatellar fat pad of the knee. This case is unique not only because of the glomus tumor’s location, but also because it ultimately required ultrasound-guided needle localization for excision.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  1. Gombos Z, Zhang PJ. Glomus tumor. Arch Path Lab Med. 2008;132(9):1448–52.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Soule EH, Ghormley RK, Bulbulian AH. Primary tumors of the soft tissues of the extremities exclusive of epithelial tumors: an analysis of five hundred consecutive cases. Am Med Assoc Arch Surg. 1955;70:462–74.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Theumann NH, Goettmann S, Le Viet D, et al. Recurrent glomus tumors of fingertips: MR imaging evaluation. Radiology. 2002;223:143–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Lee DW, Yang JH, Chang S, et al. Clinical and pathologic characteristics of extradigital and digital glomus tumours: a retrospective comparative study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2011;25(12):1392–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Tsuneyoshi M, Enjoji M. Glomus tumor: a clinicopathologic and electron microscopic study. Cancer. 1982;50:1601–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Proietti A, Ali G, Quilici F, Bertoglio P, Mussi A, Fontanini G. Glomus tumor of the shoulder: a case report and review of the literature. Oncol Lett. 2013;6:1021–4.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chun JS, Hong R, Kim JA. Extradigital glomus tumor: a case report. Mole Clin Oncol. 2014;2(2):237–9.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Weiser JA, Nord KM, Grossman ME. Glomus tumor masquerading for 22 years as osteoarthritis of the hip. Cutis. 2008;81(4):339–42.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Miyano JA, Fitzgibbons TC. Glomangioma of the ankle simulating injury to the flexor hallucis longus: a case report. Foot Ankle Int. 1996;17(12):768–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Seo JH, Lee HS, Kim SW, Jeong JJ, Choi YR. Subungual glomus cell proliferation in the toe: a case report. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2014;53(5):628–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Panagiotopoulos E, Maraziotis T, Karageorgos A, Dimopoulos P, Koumoundourou D. A twenty-year delay in diagnosing a glomus knee tumor. Orthopedics. 2006;29(5):451–52.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Davenport D, Colaco HB, Edwards MR. The 30-year wait for treatment of an acutely painful knee. BMJ Case Rep. 2014. Sep 29;2014.

  13. Waseem M, Jari S, Paton RW. Glomus tumour, a rare cause of knee pain: a case report. Knee. 2002;9:161–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Clark ML, O’Hara C, Dobson PJ, Smith AL. Glomus tumor and knee pain: a report of four cases. Knee. 2009;16:231–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Murphy RX, Rachman RA. Extradigital glomus tumor as a cause of knee pain. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1993;92(7):1371–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Hardy P, Muller GP, Got C, Lortat-Jacob A, Benoit J. Glomus tumor of the fat pad. Arthroscopy. 1998;14(3):325–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Prabhakar S, Dhillon MS, Vasishtha RK, Bali K. Glomus tumor of Hoffa’s fat pad and its management by arthroscopic excision. Clin Orthopedic Surg. 2013;5(4):334–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kato S, Fujii H, Yoshida A, Hinoki S. Glomus tumor beneath the plica synovialis in the knee: a case report. Knee. 2007;14(2):164–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wood W. On painful subcutaneous tubercles. Edinb Med J. 1812;2:50–1.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Masson P. Le glomus neuro-myo-arteriel des regions tactiles et ses tumeurs. Lyon Chir. 1924;21:257–80.

    Google Scholar 

  21. McDermott EM, Weiss AP. Glomus tumors. J Hand Surg. 2006;31(8):1397–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Schiefer TK, Parker WL, Anakwenze OA. Extradigital glomus tumors: a 20-year experience. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006;81(10):1337–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Maxwell GP, Curtis RM, Wilgis EF. Multiple digital glomus tumors. J Hand Surg [Am]. 1979;4:363–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Drape JL, Idy-Peretti I, Goettmann S, et al. Subungual glomus tumors: evaluation with MR imaging. Radiology. 1995;195:507–15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Harris WR. Erosion of bone by glomus tumour. Can Med Assoc J. 1954;70(6):684–85.

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Fornage BD. Glomus tumors in the fingers: diagnosis with US. Radiology. 1988;167:183–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Chiang YP, Hsu CY, Lien WC, Chang YJ. Ultrasonographic appearance of subungual glomus tumors. J Clin Ultrasound. 2014;42(6):336–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Van Geertruyden J, Lorea P, Goldschmidt D, et al. Glomus tumours of the hand: a retrospective study of 51 cases. J Hand Surg Br. 1996;21(2):257–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The author(s) declare that they have no conflict interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University, 622 West 168th St., Radiology Administration – PH 1, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Tony T. Wong

  2. Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Lara R. Harik

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    William Macaulay

Authors
  1. Tony T. Wong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lara R. Harik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. William Macaulay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tony T. Wong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wong, T.T., Harik, L.R. & Macaulay, W. Extradigital glomus tumor in the knee: excision with ultrasound guided needle localization. Skeletal Radiol 44, 1689–1693 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-015-2202-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-015-2202-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation