Eponychial flap elevation method for surgical excision of a subungual glomus tumor

Abstract

The clinical symptoms of glomus tumors are pain, tenderness, nail discoloration, and cold intolerance. The only treatment for subungual glomus tumors is surgical removal. In this clinical study, we present an eponychium preserving method as a new innovative surgical approach for subungual glomus tumor. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 27 patients with subungual glomus tumors who underwent tumor resection using the eponychial flap elevation method between March 2010 and 2019. After the excision of the subungual glomus tumor using the eponychial flap elevation method, wound problems, severe pain, and nail deformity other than a minimal scar were not noted. The innovative eponychial flap elevation method is a simple and straightforward method for the management of subungual glomus tumors; the tumors can be sufficiently exposed and completely excised using this method while avoiding secondary nail dystrophy. This method can be another option among several methods of subungual glomus tumor removal.