title: The early clinical presentation of synovial sarcoma.
abstract: While synovial sarcoma most commonly presents as a painless mass, occasionally the cancer emerges in a misleading manner resulting in an unfavorable delay or error in diagnosis. A review of the litrature reveals 4 such occult patterns: pretumor phase characterized only by pain or tenderness; the acute inflammatory lesion presenting as a "hot" arthritis or bursitis; the chronic contracture; the post traumatic tumor. These conditions, especially when otherwise unaccounted for, are indications for biopsy. Four avoidable pitfalls in biopsy management also emerged from the review.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003286:Contracture / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D007596:Joints / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D013584:Sarcoma, Synovial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology