Five cases of glomuvenous malformations

Glomuvenous malformation (GVM), an uncommon variant of venous malformation (VM), reveals dilated venous channels lined by variable amounts of glomus cells histopathologically. It appears as compressible blue or blue-purple nodules or plaque(s), sometimes showing a familial tendency. GVM usually involves only the superficial layer of the cutis or subcutaneous tissue, unlike VM, which frequently involves deeper tissue. Although GVM shares features of VM and glomus tumor, their clinicopathological and/or genetic features are sufficiently distinctive to enable a differential diagnosis, which is important for management decisions. Herein, we report five patients who showed a large confluent patch or several scattered patches composed of tender bluish blebs. Two patients among them were siblings. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations confirmed GVM.