From the Guidelines
Glomus tumors are generally negative for S100 staining, as they originate from modified smooth muscle cells and typically express markers such as smooth muscle actin and vimentin. The most recent and highest quality study, 1, published in 2022, supports this finding, stating that immunohistochemical analysis of glomus tumors is positive for actin and vimentin, but does not mention S100 positivity. This is consistent with the characteristic immunohistochemical profile of glomus tumors, which helps differentiate them from other neoplasms. Some key characteristics of glomus tumors include:
- Originating from modified smooth muscle cells of the glomus body
- Typically expressing smooth muscle actin and vimentin
- Usually negative for CD117, chromogranin A, carcinoembryonic antigen, and neuron-specific enolase
- Can be differentiated from other cutaneous neoplasms based on their immunohistochemical profile. It's worth noting that while the study 1 from 2006 provides some information on glomus tumors, it does not specifically address S100 staining, and therefore, the more recent study 1 is given priority in making this recommendation.
From the Research
Glomus Tumor and S100 Protein
- The relationship between glomus tumors and S100 protein staining has been investigated in several studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- According to the studies, glomus tumors typically do not stain positive for S100 protein:
- A 1989 study found that all 11 glomus tumors examined stained negatively for S100 protein 2.
- A 1994 study of 23 glomus tumors also found no positive staining for S100 protein 3.
- A 2021 study of 7 glomus tumors of the nail bed found that all tumors were negative for S100 protein 4.
- A 2014 study of 2 bronchial glomus tumors did not specifically mention S100 protein staining, but noted that the tumors were negative for cytokeratin and epithelial markers 5.
- A 2020 study of a duodenum glomus tumor found that the tumor was negative for S100 protein 6.
- Overall, the evidence suggests that glomus tumors do not typically express S100 protein, which can be useful in distinguishing them from other types of tumors.