General imaging strategy of soft tissue tumors

Abstract

The imaging evaluation of a patient with a suspected soft tissue tumor (STT) requires a methodological approach that recognizes the benefits and limitations of the numerous imaging techniques that are available. Consideration must be given to the individual experience of the investigator, and the financial costs, availability, and invasiveness of each technique balanced against the diagnosis. Therefore, an optimal imaging pathway that meets all these criteria probably does not exist, and the imaging pathway should be tailored to individual cases. Whenever a patient presents with a soft tissue mass, a detailed history should be taken and a thorough clinical examination performed. Cardinal information is derived from the age of the patient and the location of the lesion. Patients may complain of (usually painless) local swelling, numbness, paresthesia, or irradiating pain due to neural entrapment, or they may have no complaints at all. Nevertheless, further imaging is often required early in the evaluation procedure to, in most instances, reassure both patient and clinician of the benign character of the lesion. The major role of imaging is detection, grading (characterization and tissue-specific diagnosis), staging, and follow-up.