Tumors that involve skeletal muscle are numerous and varied, including a variety of
benign and malignant neoplasms as well as other mass lesions. Confronted with a patient
presenting with a mass in the muscle, a clinician has multiple choices for the initial
study. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) frequently provides all of the information
necessary to manage patients and so is a reasonable ``first-line'' imaging test. Although
the MRI features of the various muscle masses are variable, general rules regarding
characteristic features can provide restricted differential diagnosis. This article
reviews these tumors and their appearances on MRI.
Magnetic resonance imaging - neoplasm - abscess - muscles