Abstract
A wide range of musculoskeletal tumors and tumor-like conditions may be encountered
when patients undergo radiologic examinations. Although MR imaging is a powerful medical
imaging method that has been used extensively in the evaluation of musculoskeletal
tumors, nontumoral or tumorlike lesions may have similar imaging findings. The imaging
features of certain normal, reactive, benign neoplastic, inflammatory, traumatic,
or degenerative processes in the musculoskeletal system may mimic malignant tumors.
Misinterpretation of the imaging findings can lead to inappropriate clinical management
of the patient. We review and describe the MR imaging characteristics of nontumoral
bone lesions that are located in the marrow cavity, cortical bone, or in both, and
soft tissue lesions that may be misinterpreted as sarcoma.
Keywords
nontumoral musculoskeletal lesions - magnetic resonance imaging - magnetic resonance
imaging pitfalls - musculoskeletal tumors - tumor mimics - tumor pitfalls
