Striped nails beware of glomus tumor
Ms. Hien had pain in her thumb for over 10 years, her nail had stripes in the middle, she had been examined and taken medicine continuously for many years but it did not improve until the doctor discovered a tumor under the nail.
The woman, over 60, said the pain often occurred with her heartbeat. She had seen many specialists and had many tests done, but still could not find the disease. The pain increased and tormented her every night, and she had to wrap her fingers tightly to relieve the pain before she could sleep.
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Symptoms of subungual glomus tumor are striped nails and prolonged pain. Photo: XA |
Orthopedic specialist Nguyen Xuan Anh said that the initial examination of the patient recently showed that the nail was striped and deformed. The painful spot under the nail base felt pulsating when pressed. Having performed several similar surgeries, Dr. Anh immediately thought of the possibility of a glomus tumor under the nail.
The ultrasound and MRI results were as expected. The patient only needed 10 minutes for the surgeon to remove the tumor, and his condition improved significantly. At a follow-up visit 2 days after surgery, the patient said he slept well at night and was no longer tormented by pain.
According to Dr. Xuan Anh, the tumor is often located deep under the nail base so it cannot be seen, causing sharp pain with the heartbeat and nerve stimulation due to impact. In these cases, blood tests are normal. Imaging diagnosis byFinger MRI or finger ultrasoundcan identify the disease.
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Glomus tumor under the toenail. Photo: XA |
Subungual glomus tumors are quite common and can occur in both fingers and toes. Common symptoms include sharp pain under the nail, especially when touched, and streaked nails. If left untreated for a long time, large tumors can cause severe pain and reduced mobility. The disease can recur, but if the entire tumor is removed, the risk is lower.PresentlykThere is no way to prevent it. When symptoms appear, patients should see a specialist early to get treatment for the tumor.
“The disease is not difficult to diagnose and treat, but if not examined by a musculoskeletal specialist or orthopedic traumatologist, it can be easily overlooked,” Dr. Xuan Anh shared. Diagnosis of subungual glomus tumor needs to be differentiated from other diseases such as tendon sheath tumor, neuroma, subungual cellulitis...
