Application of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Extradigital Glomus Tumor: A Case Report

Guangyuan Dai¹Jiawen Fang²Shengmin Zhang^1*

• ¹Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China, Ningbo, China
• ²Department of General Practice, Baiyun Community Health Service Center, Ningbo, China

Glomus tumors (GTs) are rare neoplasms, classically presenting as subungual lesions with pathognomonic triad of severe paroxysmal pain triggered by cold, pressure, or touch. Extradigital glomus tumors (EGTs) pose significant diagnostic challenges due to their anatomical atypicality and frequently ambiguous clinical manifestations. Ultrasonography remains the primary imaging modality for evaluating soft tissue masses. In the diagnostic assessment of GTs by sonographers, the identification predominantly relies on characteristic clinical presentations combined with the demonstration of intratumoral hypervascularity through color Doppler imaging, as grayscale ultrasound features exhibit nonspecific characteristics. However, conventional ultrasonography encounters significant diagnostic challenges in EGTs with atypical clinical presentations and deepseated locations, primarily due to the markedly reduced sensitivity of color Doppler in assessing blood flow within deep soft tissue lesions. In contrast, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) dynamically visualizes microvascular perfusion patterns, enabling precise evaluation of intratumoral hemodynamic characteristics. This advanced technique not only enhances diagnostic accuracy but also provides guidance for targeted biopsy procedures.