Glomus Tumor
| Overview |
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- Glomus Tumors originate from Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and are almost always benign.
| Clinical Consequences |
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- Glomus Tumors manifest as small (<1cm), firm balls usually in the distal portions of fingers or toes, and are frequently located under the nail. These small tumors are typically extremely painful and are treated with surgical excision.
| FYI: Glomus Body |
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- The "Glomus Body" is a specialized arteriovenous anastomosis found in the dermis, especially in fingers and toes, which allows shunting of blood away from the superficial skin in order to avoid heat loss. The anastomosis is regulated by specialized vascular smooth muscle cells which form the glomus body. It is thought that these are the cells of origin of the glomus tumor.