Extradural Glomus Tumor of the Thoracic Spine: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Background: Glomus tumors are rare lesions that can arise anywhere along the spinal axis. Only thirteen cases have been reported. We report a case of a patient with a rare glomangioma of the thoracic spine. Following a review of the twelve previous cases is a discussion of a spinal glomus tumor with regard to clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Methods: A single, recent case arising from the extradural space of the thoracic spine is described, followed by a literature review of spinal glomus tumors.Results: Including our case, thirteen cases of a glomus tumor have been reported. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 44.6 years (range: 22–73 years) and the male-to-female (M:F) ratio was 1.17:1. The lesion was located in the cervical spine in 1 patient, the thoracic spine in 7 patients, the lumbar spine in 4 patients, and the sacrum in 1 patient. All the tumors were benign; however, there was one report of local recurrence because of incomplete removal. There were no malignant transformations, metastases, or deaths reported with a mean follow-up of 20.09 ± 28.43 months (range: 2–90 months).Conclusions: Spinal glomus tumor are rare, and the preoperative diagnosis is difficult. An overwhelming majority of glomus tumors are benign and are cured by simple local excision. Patients undergoing complete resection have an excellent long-term prognosis.Trial registration: Not applicable.