Glomus tumors associated with the bone and joints: a review of 91 cases

Glomus tumors (GTs) commonly affect the subungual soft tissue but rarely affect the bone and joints. Meanwhile, GTs associated with the bone and joints have been misdiagnosed for decades.

The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched, and primary data extracted from selected articles were quantitively analyzed.

The number of male and female patients was 52 and 39, respectively, and the right side was more commonly affected than the left. The median age at onset of male and female patients was 43.61±19.20 and 33.16±14.87 years, respectively, and the median illness duration was 3.00 (1.00, 10.00) and 3.00 (0.50, 7.50) years, respectively. The median follow-up time was 12 months, and the median time to recurrence or metastasis was also 12 months. Of the 91 total cases, 3 had a malignant pathological type and 4 had an uncertain malignant potential. Moreover, five cases recurred postoperatively, including two malignant cases, two benign GTs, and one case of glomangiomatosis. Of the 54 patients with recorded data on trauma, 12 reported a definite history of trauma.

Interestingly, the history of trauma is an important cause of GTs. The most common site of extra-subungual tissue is the knee, especially in young adults. Surgical removal was the most commonly used treatment method, and radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be combined if necessary. Furthermore, patients should be followed up for at least 2 years postoperatively to monitor for possible recurrence. Fortunately, most patients with GTs have a good prognosis.