Risk Factors Associated With Misdiagnosis of Digital Glomus Tumor: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Glomus tumors are benign with unique triad of symptoms; however, the delayed diagnosis of these tumors is common. We investigated the possible risk factors for the misdiagnosis of digital glomus tumors, with an aim to treat these patients on time. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 104 patients with digital glomus tumors from October 2009 to February 2021. Data pertaining to sex, age, tumor locations, symptoms, imaging modalities, and clinical departments visited by the patients were extracted and analyzed through logistic regression. The duration of delayed diagnosis ranged from 3 months to 40 years (mean, 5.5 ± 6.5 years). The total misdiagnosis and recurrence rate are 34.6% and 3.8%, respectively. On the multivariate logistic regression, the misdiagnosis of digital glomus tumor was significantly associated with the clinical departments visited by the patients (P < 0.001). The risk of misdiagnosis of nonhand surgery department visit is 179.741-fold higher than that of hand surgery department visit. The misdiagnosis rate of digital glomus tumor was closely related to the clinical departments visited by the patients. Hand surgeons are the first choice for the treatment of the tumor.