Sonography of musculoskeletal soft-tissue masses: techniques, pearls, and pitfalls.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to review the appropriate use of ultrasound in the workup of soft-tissue masses of the extremities. The normal sonographic appearance of superficial soft tissues, the importance of proper technique in image acquisition, and the characteristic sonographic appearance of certain masses and potential pitfalls are discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasound is increasingly being used for the initial evaluation of soft-tissue masses of the extremities. Certain clinical and imaging findings allow diagnosis of selected soft-tissue masses; however, most imaging findings are nonspecific, and further evaluation is necessary. The many potential pitfalls can lead to adverse patient outcomes.
1 Department of Radiology, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Lackland AFB, TX.
Bradley J
BJ
Carra
Liem T
LT
Bui-Mansfield
Seth D
SD
O'Brien
Dillon C
DC
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*