Malignant tracheobronchial glomus tumor: Computed tomography and virtual bronchoscopic findings with bronchoscopic and pathologic correlation

Purpose: To report the computed tomography (CT) findings and short-term follow-up of a patient with malignant bronchial glomus tumor. Methods and Results: The glomus body is an organ found in the skin and thought to be involved in blood flow and temperature regulation. Neoplasms of the glomus body are usually benign and usually affect the palm, wrist, forearm, and foot. Glomus tumors are rarely found in the tracheobronchial tree. The histopathological diagnosis of glomus tumors can occasionally be difficult. The lesion may resemble carcinoid tumor histopathologically, although immunohistochemical stains and ultrastructural studies, if obtained, are diagnostic. We encountered a patient with a malignant glomus tumor occluding the left mainstem bronchus. The lesion showed intense enhancement on CT, closely resembling a carcinoid tumor. Virtual bronchoscopic imaging showed complete occlusion of the left lower lobe bronchus. The lesion was biopsied with flexible bronchoscopy and partially resected with rigid bronchoscopy and laser therapy. Follow-up CT showed reduction in tumor size.