ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1607299
A Microscopic Transungual Surgical Approach for Subungual Glomus Tumor Resection
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Dermatology, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 2International Institutes of Medicine, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
- 3Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 4Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 5Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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Background: Glomus tumors, rare benign neoplasms developing from the glomus, often pose challenges in early detection due to their small size and subtle symptoms. Surgical removal remains the only primary treatment; however, existing approaches have limitations, particularly in preserving nail structure and minimizing recurrence rates. This study introduces the Microscopic Transungual Surgical Approach to overcome the drawbacks of existing procedures for glomus tumor excision and evaluate its efficacy in treating these tumors. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 61 patients diagnosed with and treated for glomus tumors between 2014 and 2024, examining their clinical characteristics, diagnostic test results (Love's and Hildreth's tests), and MRI findings. The surgical approach included complete nail plate removal followed by microscopic tumor excision and attentive postoperative management. Results: The study included 61 glomus tumor patients (49 females [80.3%], 12 males [19.7%]) with a median age of 39 years. Tumors most commonly affected the thumb (39.3%) and ring finger (23.0%). Key clinical features included severe pain (98.4%), positive Love test (95.1%), and cold sensitivity (88.5%). Associated findings included nail deformities (50.8%) and bone changes (39.3%). At 1-year follow-up, 80.2% achieved satisfactory nail recovery, with a 4.9% recurrence rate. Conclusion: Our study suggests the potential efficacy of the Microscopic Transungual Surgical Approach in treating glomus tumors. Its enhanced visualization contributes to complete removal of tumors with less surrounding tissue damage to lower recurrence rates and improved patient outcomes.
Keywords: Nail surgery, Glomus Tumor, Glomus tumor and fingers, Subungual glomus tumors, transungual surgical approach
Received: 07 Apr 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhong, Ali, Yang, Zhao, Xu Lou and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Liming Wu, Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang Province, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.