Multiple glomus tumours. Special reference to radiological findings

Glomus tumours may be either solitary or multiple. The solitary glomus is a quite common, characteristically painful lesion, frequently located under the nails, whereas multiple glomus tumours constitute a rare clinical and genetic entity which is defined by the presence of small bluish intradermal tumours, and autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. The lesions resemble clinically and histologically cavernous hemangioma, but can be differentiated by intraluminar presence of the characteristic glomus cells. Four cases of multiple glomus tumours, one sporadic and three hereditary familial, are reported, and the pedigree of two families with five generations affected by the disease are presented. Radiological investigations of multiple glomus tumours are very sparse, and their results inconsistent. Angiography, venography and thermography did not contribute to diagnosis in the present cases. Skeletal changes associated with multiple glomus tumours are discussed.