title: Clinical and imaging features of distended scapulothoracic bursitis: spontaneously regressed pseudotumoral lesion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe clinical and imaging findings of distended scapulothoracic bursitis without scapular snapping, which is often confused with a soft tissue tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients (6 male, 3 female; age range: 50-73 years; mean age = 67 years) with distended scapulothoracic bursitis diagnosed by clinical and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings were studied. The results of a histologic examination were available in 1 case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients presented with painless palpable masses below the scapula, and the initial diagnoses were soft tissue tumors. On MR images, the lesions were 5.5 to 12 cm in maximum diameter (mean = 7.7 cm) and well-demarcated cystic masses situated in the subscapular region between the serratus anterior and the chest wall. There was no solid portion on the cyst walls. The findings of hemorrhage within the bursae were present in all cases. Every mass regressed in size spontaneously after a few to several weeks, and no lesions revealed any malignant findings of sarcomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distended scapulothoracic bursae without scapular snapping resemble soft tissue tumors. They have some specific MR findings; therefore, precise recognition of these findings is important to avoid misdiagnoses and unnecessary treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Niigata City General Hospital, Niigata, Japan. higuchi@hosp.niigata.niigata.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogose
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Kouichirou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamura
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hatano
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001415:Back; D002062:Bursitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012540:Scapula / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*