glomus tumor/ulex europaeus

Six cases of glomus tumor in superficial soft tissues were investigated immunohistochemically for the presence of different types of intermediate filaments, myosin, laminin, a basal lamina glycoprotein, and the endothelial cell markers, factor VIII-related antigen (FVIIIR:Ag) and Ulex europaeus I

Immunohistochemical studies were performed in order to characterize glomus tumors. In all cases the glomus tumor cells stained positively for smooth muscle actin. In half of six cases, the glomus tumor cells weakly expressed desmin. They were not reactive with Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I and

The histological and immunohistochemical features of 20 glomus tumours (glomangiomas) were studied retrospectively in routinely processed material. The tumours came from 18 patients (9 women and 9 men, aged 25 to 80 years); two were recurring lesions. Twelve were classified as solid glomus tumours,

Eight tumors diagnosed as solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the oral cavity were studied. Histologic spectrum was entirely comparable with the extrapleural SFT of other sites. One tumor had glomus tumor-like foci. Immunohistochemical results confirmed most of the previous observations, indicating

CD31 has recently been reported as a specific marker of endothelial differentiation among non-hematopoietic human neoplasms. In order to address this contention in particular regard to tumors of the skin and subcutis, the authors undertook a comparative study that surveyed 145 mesenchymal lesions.