CD34-positive glomus tumor: clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of six cases with myxoid stromal changes.
BACKGROUND
Glomus tumors are benign, mainly superficially located perivascular neoplasms, composed of cytologically characteristic neoplastic cells staining immunohistochemically positive for vimentin and muscle actin, closely associated with often branching blood vessels.


METHODS
Six cases of glomus tumor were analysed histologically and immunohistochemically.


RESULTS
We report six cases of glomus tumor (three solid glomus tumors, two glomangiomas, one glomangiomyoma) arising on the fingers of adult patients (five female and one male patient; age range 35-65 years) that showed prominent myxoid stromal changes and immunohistochemically a coexpression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and CD34 by neoplastic cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Neoplastic cells in glomus tumor may show a coexpression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and CD34, an important finding regarding the differential diagnosis of these lesions and the relationship of perivascular neoplasms.
Dermatohistopathologisches Gemeinschaftslabor, Siemensstrasse 6/1, D-88048 Friedrichshafen, Germany. tmentzel@w-4.de
Thomas
T
Mentzel
Heino
H
Hügel
Heinz
H
Kutzner
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D005918:Glomus Tumor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D000199:Actins; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1