Clinical presentation and imaging of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas

ABSTRACT

The clinical presentation of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas is varied. Constitutional symptoms are rare, and although bone sarcomas tend to be painful while soft-tissue sarcomas usually are not, there are exceptions to this general rule. A high index of suspicion is required for any unexplained mass with indeterminate imaging findings. Choosing the right imaging modality is critical to the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected sarcoma, and referring clinicians have a multitude of imaging options. After discovery of a malignant-appearing bone lesion by radiography, further imaging is obtained for better characterization of the lesion (typically with magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and for staging (typically with computed tomography of the chest). In contrast, radiographs are rarely helpful for evaluation of soft-tissue lesions, which almost always require MRI assessment.