Extradural glomus tumor of the thoracic spine: case report and review of the literature.

Glomus tumors are rare lesions that can arise anywhere along the spinal axis. Only 12 cases have been reported. We report a case of a patient with a rare glomangioma of the thoracic spine. Following a review of the 12 previous cases is a discussion of spinal glomus tumors, including clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. A single, recent case arising from the extradural space of the thoracic spine is described, followed by a literature review of spinal glomus tumors. Including our case, 13 cases of glomus tumors 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 1 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). Spinal glomus tumors 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.