SUBUNGUAL NEUROMYO-ARTERIAL GLOMUS TUMOR OF THE TOE: EFFECT OF INCREASED PERIPHERAL TEMPERATURE

Neuromyo-arterial glomus structures are peculiar angioma-like collections of microscopic blood vessels normally found in the corium and subcutaneous tissue. They are considered peripheral arteriovenous anastomoses that function to maintain a constant capillary pressure and to control peripheral temperatures (Sucquet, 1 Hoyer, 2 Grosser, 3 Masson, 4 Popoff, 5 Grant and Bland 6 ). Although such structures are distributed over the entire surface of the body, they are most numerous in the fingers and toes. When there is local hyperplasia a small, very painful and exquisitely tender bluish nodule results. Identification of the tumor as an arteriovenous anastomosis similar in histologic structure to the glomus coccygeum of Luschka was reported first by Masson, 4 of Strasbourg, in 1924. Since then reports of many cases have verified his conclusions (Stratmann, 7 Keasbey, 8 Adair, 9 Burman and Gold 10 ). Conflicting clinical observations on the effect of peripheral circulatory changes in the glomus tumor