Subungual Ganglion Cyst Mimicking Glomus Tumor: A Case Report

Su Rak Eo*, Gyeong Hyeon Doh, Hea Kyeong Shin, Kyung Chan Ahn, Ki Yong Hong and Yea Sik Han

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, DongGuk University School of Medicine, South Korea

^*Correspondance to: Su Rak Eo 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.2684

Abstract

Subungual masses accompanying nail deformity are of common occurrence and uniquely confirmed by histopathologic examination postoperatively. Although glomus tumor is most frequently diagnosed with its specific clinical trial, other rarer diagnoses have also been reported. Though ganglion cysts are predominantly found around the distal phalangeal joint as a mucous cyst and myxoid cyst, they might also appear as a subungual mass accompanied by nail deformity thereby mimicking the glomus tumor. A 54-year-old woman visited our outpatient clinic with nail deformity and pain on the tip of the right thumb. She had a history of nail root injury on her right thumb which occurred 3 months back at a nail shop. Physical examination revealed a convex point with tenderness on the right thumbnail. Doppler ultrasonography revealed the presence of 0.43 mm × 0.26 mm × 0.53 mm sized non-specific cystic lesion with hypoechogenicity and no abnormal vascularity. Complete excision of the cyst was performed and biopsy and histopathology revealed a ganglion cyst. Subungual ganglion cyst is of rare occurrence and known to be usually asymptomatic. Herein, we report a case of ganglion cyst of subungual area which was mistakenly diagnosed as a glomus tumor preoperatively.

Keywords

Ganglion cyst; Glomus tumor; Subungual tumor

Cite the article

Eo SR, Doh GH, Shin HK, Ahn KC, Hong KY, Han YS. Subungual Ganglion Cyst Mimicking Glomus Tumor: A Case Report. Clin Surg. 2019; 4: 2684..