Giant Glomus Tumour of the Forearm- An Unusual Occurrence

Abstract

Glomus tumour is a rare small benign lesion which is typically located at fingertip. Most patients with glomus tumour have delayed diagnosis. Recognition of the classical triad of glomus tumour which include paroxysmal pain, exquisite tenderness to touch and cold intolerance; and advanced imaging like MRI and biopsy would help in making the diagnosis. Here, a case of an elderly patient is reported with painful right forearm swelling for three years which progressively increased in size. The size of the swelling was unusually large for glomus tumour. Unfortunately, during the same time period he suffered from acute coronary event. MRI revealed subcutaneously located lobulated soft tissue mass. Surgical biopsy with marginal excision was done. Histopathological examination revealed small uniform rounded cells surrounding capillary vessels, consistent with the diagnosis of glomus tumour. There was no recurrence up to 2 year of follow-up and his cardiac symptoms also stabilised.