Intra-articular glomus tumor– a rare presentation

Glomus tumors are rare, benign, vascular painful swellings arising from glomus bodies. They represent less than 1.6% of all benign soft tissue neoplasms (1), are usually found between ages 30 and 50 years and are more common in women than men with a ratio of 2:1 (2). They are commonly seen in the subungual region of digits but ectopic locations are not uncommon (3). Other rare locations include the extremities, trunk, and even the viscera. The forearm is the most common extra digital location and the shoulder and back the least common sites of involvement by this tumor. In the shoulder area, glomus tumor has been reported to arise from bone (scapula), muscle (deltoid muscle) and soft tissue (4).