Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Glomus tumors are uncommon pericytic neoplasms that most frequently occur in the subungual regions of the extremities, while superficial facial localization is rare and may present a diagnostic challenge. We report a nasal glomangiomyoma in a 63-year-old woman presenting as a painless, slowly enlarging subcutaneous mass of the upper right nasal sidewall that was clinically suspected to represent a lipoma. The lesion was completely excised, with the closest resection margin free of tumor at a microscopic clearance of 0.5 mm. Histopathological examination demonstrated vascular spaces surrounded by uniform epithelioid glomus cells together with fascicles of elongated spindle cells showing smooth-muscle differentiation and a gradual morphological transition between the two components. Immunohistochemically, the glomus cells expressed smooth muscle actin, while the smooth-muscle component showed strong desmin positivity; proliferative activity was low. These findings supported the diagnosis of glomangiomyoma. No clinical evidence of recurrence was observed at 6-month follow-up. A focused review of the literature identified a limited number of reported superficial facial glomus tumors, many of which presented without the characteristic pain associated with digital lesions. This case highlights that glomus tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent superficial facial nodules, including clinically benign-appearing lesions, and emphasizes the importance of histopathological evaluation for definitive diagnosis and appropriate classification.
Source: Frontiers in Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7222917411