AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO026060064
Submit to EJMO
Cite this article
3
Download
65
Views
Related Info Links
Google Scholar
More by Authors Links
Francesco Inchingolo
Journal Browser
Volume | Year
Issue
Search
Forthcoming Issue
Current Issue
View All
News and Announcements
View All
REVIEW

Oral glomus tumor: A systematic review highlighting clinical and histopathological characteristics of a time-reclassified entity

Eliano Cascardi1 ,  Fabio Maglitto2 ,  Mario Della Mura1 ,  Gerardo Cazzato1 ,  Stefan Cocis2 ,  Angelo Michele Inchingolo3 ,  Francesca Calò3 ,  Sharon Di Serio3 ,  Antonio Musciacchio3 ,  Francesco Inchingolo3* ,  Chiara Copelli2 ,  Andrea Palermo4 ,  Alessio Danilo Inchingolo3 ,  Gianna Dipalma3
Show Less
1 Pathology section of Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePre-J), Faculty of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Apulia, Italy
2 Maxillo-Facial Surgery Unit, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Bari, Apulia, Italy
3 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Apulia, Italy
4 Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salento, Lecce, Apulia, Italy
EJMO, 026060064 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO026060064
Received: 3 February 2026 | Revised: 10 March 2026 | Accepted: 30 April 2026 | Published online: 20 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Download PDF
XML
Cite
Abstract

Oral glomus tumors are exceptionally rare perivascular neoplasms that are frequently misdiagnosed due to their nonspecific clinical presentation. Their rarity has historically resulted in inconsistent terminology and a limited understanding of their biological behavior. This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines and registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ID 1175198). A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (1954–2024) was performed to identify English-language case reports and case series describing histologically confirmed oral glomus tumors. Extracted data included demographics, tumor location and size, histopathological features, treatment modalities, recurrence, and follow-up. A total of 740 records were identified, of which 31 studies met the inclusion criteria, yielding 34 confirmed cases of oral glomus tumor. Patients ranged from 8 to 85 years, with a slight male predominance. The most frequently affected site was the lip, followed by the tongue, palatal mucosa, and other intraoral soft tissues. Tumor size varied from 0.3 to 4.5 cm. Classic glomus tumor was the most common subtype, with occasional reports of glomangiomyoma and one case of glomangiosarcoma. Surgical excision was curative in most patients. Recurrence occurred in a minority of cases, but metastasis was not reported in the only case of glomangiosarcoma. Oral glomus tumors are predominantly benign, well-circumscribed lesions with excellent prognosis following complete surgical excision. Accurate diagnosis relies on thorough histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation, given the potential overlap with other mesenchymal tumors. This review provides the most updated synthesis of clinical, pathological, and outcome features of oral glomus tumors.

Keywords
Oral glomus tumor
Glomuvenous malformation
Glomangiomyoma
Malignant glomus tumor
Oral cavity
Oral mesenchymal tumor
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
  1. Amyere M, Aerts V, Brouillard P, et al. Somatic uniparental isodisomy explains multifocality of glomuvenous malformations. Am J Hum Genet. 2013;92(2):188-196. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.12.017
  2. Stewart DR, Sloan JL, Yao L, et al. Diagnosis, management, and complications of glomus tumours of the digits in neurofibromatosis type 1. J Med Genet. 2010;47(8):525-532. doi: 10.1136/jmg.2009.073965
  3. Kumar T, Jamal I, Nigam JS, Pandey JK. Malignant glomus tumor of the index finger. Autops Case Rep. 2020;10(4):e2020184. doi: 10.4322/acr.2020.184
  4. WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board. Skin Tumours [Internet; beta version ahead of print]. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2023:568-570. (WHO Classification of Tumours Series, 5th ed, vol. 12). Accessed February 1, 2026. https://tumourclassification.iarc.who.int/chapters/64
  5. Kloping LP, Widhiyanto L, Irianto KA, Sindrawati O, Kloping YP. Glomus tumor-induced lower extremity pain: a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2020;75(C):352-356. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2020.09.093
  6. Folpe AL, Fanburg-Smith JC, Miettinen M, Weiss SW. Atypical and malignant glomus tumors: analysis of 52 cases, with a proposal for the reclassification of glomus tumors. Am J Surg Pathol. 2001;25(1):1-12. doi: 10.1097/00000478-200101000-00001
  7. Shugart RR, Soule EH, Johnson EW. Glomus tumor. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1963;33(3):301. doi: 10.1097/00006534-196403000-00034
  8. Hwang J, McDowell S, Cole B, Huber A, Reyes MCD. Cytologic analysis of a glomus tumor in the left second toe: case report. Diagn Cytopathol. 2022;50(6):E170-E173. doi: 10.1002/dc.24942
  9. Singh S, Kumar A, Singh V. Gastric glomus tumor. Niger J Surg. 2020;26(2):162-165. doi: 10.4103/njs.NJS_8_19
  10. Whipple KM, Godfrey KJ, Solomon JP, Lin JH, Korn BS, Kikkawa DO. Glomuvenous malformation: a rare periorbital lesion of the thermoregulatory apparatus. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017;33(2):e36-e37. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000000695
  11. Dagur G, Warren K, Miao Y, Singh N, Suh Y, Khan SA. Unusual glomus tumor of the penis. Curr Urol. 2016;9(3):113-118. doi: 10.1159/000442864
  12. Suharwardy S, Mahal AS, Wieskopf K, Rogo-Gupta L. Glomus tumor excision with clitoral preservation. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2016;20(2):e20-e21. doi: 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000196
  13. Alyaseen HN, Al Ghadeer HA, Al-Ghanim ME, Aljawad HH, Cordoba CR. Extradigital glomangioma of the cutaneous chest wall. Cureus. 2021;13:e17910. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17910
  14. Park EA, Hong SH, Choi JY, Lee MW, Kang HS. Glomangiomatosis: magnetic resonance imaging findings in three cases. Skeletal Radiol. 2005;34(2):108-111. doi: 10.1007/s00256-004-0837-z
  15. Zhou P, Zhang H, Bu H, et al. Paravertebral glomangiomatosis. Case report. J Neurosurg. 2009;111(2):272-277. doi: 10.3171/2009.2.JNS081276
  16. Deger AN, Deger H, Tayfur M, Balcioglu MG, Kadioglu E. Acquired solitary glomangiomyoma on the forearm: a rare case report. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(7):ED10-E1. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/19062.8195
  17. Kamarashev J, French LE, Dummer R, Kerl K. Symplastic glomus tumor—a rare but distinct benign histological variant with analogy to other "ancient" benign skin neoplasms. J Cutan Pathol. 2009;36(10):1099-1102. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0560.2008.01232.x
  18. Sandoval M, Carrasco-Zuber J, Gonzalez S. Extradigital symplastic glomus tumor of the hand: report of 2 cases and literature review. Am J Dermatopathol. 2015;37(7):560-562. doi: 10.1097/DAD.0000000000000132
  19. Tan Y, Yang P, Deng X, Tang Y. Glomangioma of the trachea: a case report and literature review. Oncol Lett. 2015;9(3):1273-1277. doi: 10.3892/ol.2015.2871
  20. Slater DN, Cotton DW, Azzopardi JG. Oncocytic glomus tumour: a new variant. Histopathology. 1987;11(5):523-531. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.1987.tb02660.x
  21. Jha A, Khunger N, Malarvizhi K, Ramesh V, Singh A. Familial disseminated cutaneous glomuvenous malformation: treatment with polidocanol sclerotherapy. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2016;9(4):266-269. doi: 10.4103/0974-2077.197083
  22. Brouillard P, Ghassibé M, Penington A, et al. Four common glomulin mutations cause two thirds of glomuvenous malformations ("familial glomangiomas"): evidence for a founder effect. J Med Genet. 2005;42(2):e13. doi: 10.1136/jmg.2004.024174
  23. Chakrapani A, Warrick A, Nelson D, Beadling C, Corless CL. BRAF and KRAS mutations in sporadic glomus tumors. Am J Dermatopathol. 2012;34(5):533-535. doi: 10.1097/DAD.0b013e31823931b4
  24. Karamzadeh Dashti N, Bahrami A, Lee SJ, Jenkins SM, Rodriguez FJ, Folpe AL, Boland JM. BRAF V600E mutations occur in a subset of glomus tumors, and are associated with malignant histologic characteristics. Am J Surg Pathol. 2017;41(11):1532-1541. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000913
  25. Kurohara K, Michi Y, Yukimori A, Yamaguchi S. The glomus tumor resorbed bone and teeth in the mandible: a case report. Head Face Med. 2018;14(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s13005-018-0175-3
  26. Rad SN, Najirad S, Rafiei R. A rare case of glomus tumor on the mucosal surface of lower lip. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2020;8. doi: 10.1177/2324709620936157
  27. Hamilton AR, Paton A, Downie JJ. Glomangioma: rare case of a painful lump in the upper lip. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019;57(8):788-790. doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2019.07.005
  28. Ralli M, D'Aguanno V, De Vincentiis L, de Vincentiis M, Corsi A. Glomangiopericytoma-type glomus tumour/myopericytoma of the lip. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019;57(9):923-925. doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2019.06.022
  29. Sakashita H, Miyata M, Nagao K. Glomus tumor in the upper lip: a case report. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1997;26(4):301-302. doi: 10.1016/s0901-5027(97)80876-4
  30. Afroozi B, Rezazadeh F, Jaafari-Ashkavandi Z, Tavanafar S. Glomus tumor in the buccal mucosa: a case report and review of the literature. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2023;27(5):S15-S19. doi: 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_232_22
  31. Rallis G, Komis C, Mahera H. Glomus tumor: a rare location in the upper lip. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2004;98:327-336. doi: 10.1016/S1079-2104(04)00102-7
  32. Kessaris P, Klimis T, Zanakis S. Glomus tumour of the hard palate: case report and review. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2001;39(6):478-479. doi: 10.1054/bjom.2001.0721
  33. Yu HJ, Kwon SJ, Bahn JY, Park JM, Park YW. Localized multiple glomus tumors of the face and oral mucosa. J Dermatol. 2000;27(3):211-213. doi: 10.1111/j.1346-8138.2000.tb02151.x
  34. Rajendran S, Henderson AH, Gillett S. Rare glomangiosarcoma of the tongue. BMJ Case Rep. 2018;2018:bcr-2017-223268. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2017-223268
  35. Zou H, Song L, Jia M, Wang L, Sun Y. Glomus tumor in the floor of the mouth: a case report and review of the literature. World J Surg Oncol. 2018;16(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s12957-018-1503-6
  36. Sánchez-Romero C, Oliveira MEP de, Castro JFL de, Carvalho EJ de A, Almeida OP de, Perez DE da C. Glomus tumor of the oral cavity: report of a rare case and literature review. Braz Dent J. 2019;30(2):185-190. doi: 10.1590/0103-6440201902222
  37. Boyacioglu H, Koc N, Avcu N, et al. Glomus tumour of the lip mimicking squamous cell carcinoma—a rare case. J Evol Med Dent Sci. 2021;10(9):649-651. doi: 10.14260/jemds/2021/138
  38. You J, Lin Y, Wu C. Glomus tumor of the upper lip: a case report. Otolaryngol Case Rep. 2022;24:100437. doi: 10.1016/j.xocr.2022.100437
  39. Smith MH, Bhattacharyya I, Cohen DM, Hinze SR, Islam MN. Glomus tumor: a comprehensive review of the clinical and histopathologic features with report of two intraoral cases. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2019;127(1):62-70. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2018.07.056
  40. Charles NC. Multiple glomus tumors of the face and eyelid. Arch Ophthalmol. 1976;94(8):1283-1285. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1976.03910040155005
  41. Moody GH, Myskow M, Musgrove C. Glomus tumor of the lip: a case report and immunohistochemical study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1986;62(3):312-318. doi: 10.1016/0030-4220(86)90014-9
  42. Sato M, Shirasuna K, Sakuda M, et al. Fine structure of a glomus tumor of the tongue and expression of C type virus in its tumor cells. Int J Oral Surg. 1979;8(3):199-204. doi: 10.1016/s0300-9785(79)80019-8
  43. Tajima Y, Weather DR, Neville BW, Benoit PW, Pedley DM. Glomus tumor (glomangioma) of the tongue: a light and electron microscopic study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1981;52(3):288-293. doi: 10.1016/0030-4220(81)90268-1
  44. Ficarra G, Merrell PW, Johnston WH, Hansen LS. Intraoral solitary glomus tumor (glomangioma): case report and literature review. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1986;62(3):306-311. doi: 10.1016/0030-4220(86)90013-7
  45. King ES. Glomus tumour. Aust N Z J Surg. 1954;23(4):280-295. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1954.tb05057.x
  46. Geraghty JM, Thomas RW, Robertson JM, Blundell JW. Glomus tumour of the palate: case report and review of the literature. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1992;30(6):398-400. doi: 10.1016/0266-4356(92)90210-A
  47. Stajcić Z, Bojić P. Intraoral glomus tumour: a case report. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 1987;15:376-378. doi: 10.1016/s1010-5182(87)80087-2
  48. Boros AL, Davis JP, Sedghizadeh PP, Yamashita DDR. Glomus tumor: report of a rare case affecting the oral cavity and review of the literature. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2010;68(9):2329-2334. doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2009.10.005
  49. Dérand P, Warfvinge G, Thor A. Glomangioma: a case presentation. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2010;68(1):204-207. doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2009.07.023
  50. Ide F, Mishima K, Yamada H, Saito I, Horie N, Shimoyama T, Kusama K. Perivascular myoid tumors of the oral region: a clinicopathologic re-evaluation of 35 cases. J Oral Pathol Med. 2008;37(1):43-49. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.2007.00594.x
  51. Kusama K, Chu L, Kidokoro Y, et al. Glomus tumor of the upper lip. J Nihon Univ Sch Dent. 1995;37(2):97-101. doi: 10.2334/josnusd1959.37.97
  52. Lanza A, Moscariello A, Villani R, Colella G. Glomus tumor of the lower lip: a case report. Minerva Stomatol. 2005;54(11-12):687-690.
  53. Saku T, Okabe H, Matsutani K, Sasaki M. Glomus tumor of the cheek: an immunohistochemical demonstration of actin and myosin. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1985;60(1):65-71. doi: 10.1016/0030-4220(85)90218-x
  54. Vasconcelos ACU, Loyola AM, Gomes APN, et al. A symptomatic swelling of the upper lip. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2018;125(2):107-111. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2017.10.012
  55. Chandran S, Elangovan A, Vijayakumar S, Kumar KSS. Intraoral malignant glomus tumor. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2022;26(2):259-262. doi: 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_444_21
  56. WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board. Head and Neck Tumours. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2023. (WHO Classification of Tumours Series, 5th ed, vol. 9). Accessed February 1, 2026. https://publications.iarc.who.int/629
  57. Cibull TL, Gleason BC, O'Malley DP, Billings SD, Wiersema P, Hiatt KM. Malignant cutaneous glomus tumor presenting as a rapidly growing leg mass in a pregnant woman. J Cutan Pathol. 2008;35(8):765-769. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0560.2007.00898.x
  58. Abbas A, Braswell M, Bernieh A, Brodell RT. Glomuvenous malformations in a young man. Dermatol Online J. 2018;24(10):13030/qt3d24p417. doi: 10.5070/d32410041731
  59. AlNuaim B, Binsulaiman N, Alkohlani A, Al-Ghannam A, AlMohsen Z, Al-Saati M. Diagnosis of glomus tumor of the elbow: a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;90:106709. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.106709
  60. Ajala RT, Lyon KA, Lyon PR, Harris FS. Extradigital glomus tumor mimics an intrinsic nerve tumor in a trauma patient: case report and literature review. Cureus. 2021;13:e19256. doi: 10.7759/cureus.19256
  61. Pandey CR, Singh N, Tamang B. Subungual glomus tumours: is magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound necessary for diagnosis? Malays Orthop J. 2017;11(1):47-51. doi: 10.5704/MOJ.1703.020
  62. Bishen KA, Prajapati RK, Singh H, Rehani S. Hybrid tumor of central giant cell granuloma and trabecular juvenile ossifying fibroma of the mandible: a rare event in the oral cavity with a review on pathogenesis. Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2024;67(3):638-640. doi: 10.4103/ijpm.ijpm_623_22
  63. Santana T, Queiroz A, Gonçales LMC, Andrade NS, Trierveiler M. Focal melanocytic lesions of the oral mucosa: an epidemiological and morphological study. Oral Dis. 2023;29(7):2723-2733. doi: 10.1111/odi.14482
  64. Suaza C, Torres-Osorio L, Plazas Román JE, Martinez Martinez A, Diaz A, Ardila CM. Oral lesions with identical clinical presentation and different histopathological diagnoses: a case series of mucocele, schwannoma, and hamartoma. Cureus. 2025;17(9):e93203. doi: 10.7759/cureus.93203
  65. Essaket S, Hakkou F, Chbicheb S. Mucocele of the oral mucous membrane. Pan Afr Med J. 2020;35:140. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2020.35.140.21079
  66. Van Ruyssevelt CEA, Vranckx P. Subungual glomus tumor: emphasis on MR angiography. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004;182(1):263-264. doi: 10.2214/ajr.182.1.1820263
  67. Vasisht B, Watson HK, Joseph E, Lionelli GT. Digital glomus tumors: a 29-year experience with a lateral subperiosteal approach. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004;114:1486-1489. doi: 10.1097/01.prs.0000138752.36175.d5
  68. Gombos Z, Zhang PJ. Glomus tumor. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2008;132(9):1448-1452. doi: 10.5858/2008-132-1448-GT
  69. Brenn T, Goodlad J, Mentzel T. Nonmelanocytic Tumors of the Skin. Series 5. ARP Press.
  70. Brems H, Park C, Maertens O, et al. Glomus tumors in neurofibromatosis type 1: genetic, functional, and clinical evidence of a novel association. Cancer Res. 2009;69(18):7393-7401. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-1752
  71. Mosquera JM, Sboner A, Zhang L, et al. Novel MIR143-NOTCH fusions in benign and malignant glomus tumors. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2013;52(11):1075-1087. doi: 10.1002/gcc.22102
Share
Back to top
Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here
Accept