High-frequency ultrasonography for subungual glomus tumor evaluation - imaging findings

Abstract

Objective: This article aimed to describe the common imaging features of subungual glomus tumors.

Methods: The study involved data collected between January 2019 and December 2022. Twenty-three patients with a total of 31 glomus tumors underwent high-frequency ultrasound examinations with a 24-MHz probe. Two experienced radiologists independently evaluated the images, and only data from the more experienced radiologist were used for subsequent analyses.

Results: The average size of the tumors was 4.6 mm, and most of them appeared homogeneously hypoechogenic (90.3%). Bone remodeling of the distal phalanx was observed in 87.1% of cases, with an average axial circumference loss of 0.8 mm, indicating the slow and expansive growth of glomus tumors. Intense vascularization was found in 54.8% of cases on Doppler images, and the stalk sign, reflecting the vascular origin of the tumor, was present in 64.5% of cases. The most common clinical feature was pain, reported in 84.6% of cases, with a mean pain scale score of 7.0, indicating a negative impact on patients' lives despite being benign tumors.

Conclusion: The study concludes that ultrasound evaluation is highly useful for diagnosing glomus tumors, especially when multiple findings, such as bone remodeling, hypervascularization, and the stalk sign, are present. This method allows for accurate diagnosis, observation of periungual structures, and proper surgical planning, ultimately reducing recurrence rates.

Keywords: 24 MHz; Glomus tumor; High-frequency ultrasound; Nail ultrasound.