Glomus tumours of the hand: Review of literature

Glomus tumours are rare benign vascular neoplasms commonly found in the hand particularly in subungual region. Though, its aetiology remains largely unknown, several hypotheses have been made to explain the etiopathogenesis and cause of pain. These tumours usually present as a bluish or pinkish red discolouration of the nail plate with classical triad of localised tenderness, severe pain, and cold sensitivity. Nevertheless, differential diagnosis of other painful tumours, such as leiomyoma, eccrine spiradenoma, haemangioma, neuroma, osteochondroma, or mucous cyst should always be kept in mind while evaluating a patient with severe pain in the tip of the finger. In addition to the different clinical tests including Love's pin test, Hildreth's test, and trans-illumination test, imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography, and radiography are often helpful in the diagnosis. Complete surgical excision is a must to get complete relief from the symptoms and to avoid recurrence. Several approaches have been described in the literature. Different surgeons may have different choices and may prefer one approach over the other depending on the anatomical location of the tumours. The purpose of this article is to review the important aspects of glomus tumours in hand concerning their aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and recurrence.