Glomus tumor epidemiology and demographics

The exact incidence of glomus tumors is unknown. Females are more commonly affected with solitary glomus tumors (particularly subungual lesions) than males, while multiple lesions are slightly more common in males. Solitary glomus tumors can occur at any age; however, multiple glomus tumors commonly affect children.

• The exact incidence of glomus tumors is unknown.
• Glomus tumors account for 1-5% of all soft-tissue tumors of the upper extremity, occurring in most cases in the nail bed.^[1]
• The true incidence of glomus tumors could be even higher, likely as a result of misdiagnosis of many of these lesions as hemangiomas or venous malformations.
• An epidemiologic relationship may exist between glomus tumors and neurofibromatosis, which most often produces subungual glomus tumors.^[2][3]

• Solitary glomus tumors can occur at any age.^[4]
  • While previously thought to occur predominantly in young adults between the ages of 20 and 40 years, they have also been reported to be frequent in older adults between 40 and 70 years of age.
• Multiple glomus tumors commonly affect children.
  • Multiple glomus tumors develop 11–15 years earlier than single lesions.
  • One third of the cases of multiple glomus tumors affect individuals younger than twenty years of age.

• Females are more commonly affected with solitary glomus tumors (particularly subungual lesions) than males.^[5]
• Multiple lesions are slightly more common in males.^[6]

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