Huge glomus tumor of the lung

Abstract

A 37-year-old female smoker was referred with a persistent siccus cough. Chest radiography revealed an abnormal mass in the parahilar region of the left lung (Figure 1(a)). Chest computed tomography showed a well-defined huge round nodule of 9.7 6 cm in the left upper lobe (Figure 1(b)). Positron-emission tomography demonstrated moderate isotope uptake (maximum standardized uptake value 5.2; Figure 1(c)). Bronchoscopy was negative, and a fine-needle biopsy was inconclusive. The patient underwent a musclesparing left lateral thoracotomy, and a typical lingulectomy was performed. Macroscopically, a well-demarcated, round red soft mass of 9.7 cm in greatest dimension was found. Microscopically, the mass consisted of solid proliferative cells with round nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm. The tumor cells frequently showed an ovalto spindle-shaped nuclear appearance. These cells surrounded blood vessels lined with normal endothelial. An immunohistochemical study revealed the tumor cells to be positive for CD34, smooth muscle actin, and vimentin (Figure 1(d)–(f)), but negative for desmin, cytokeratin, chromogranin, synaptophysin, CD56, CD117, TTF1, and CD15. The final pathological diagnosis was intrapulmonary glomus tumor of the proper type. The postoperative course was an uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 6th day after surgery.