Rupture of a subungual glomus tumor of the finger

BACKGROUND: Glomus tumor is a rare benign neoplasm, which most frequently occurs in the subungual regions of digits. Tumor rupture and infection occurred in one patient with a glomus tumor have never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 59-year-old female presented to our hospital with a five-year history of progressively sharp pain and severe tenderness in the tip of her right middle finger. The treatment was surgical excision through a lateral incision accompanied with removal of the nail. After the surgery, the patient gained a functional recovery of her previously afflicted finger. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of finger infection caused by a ruptured subungual glomus tumor. Patients and physicians should be aware of the properties of glomus tumor so that early diagnosis and treatment of subungual glomus tumor as well as avoidance of tumor rupture and infection can be achieved.