THE PAINLESS SOFT-TISSUE MASS IN CHILDHOOD - TUMOR OR NOT

Soft tissue malignancies are uncommon in adults and even rarer in chil dren. Twelve children presented to the radiology department over a thr ee-year period with a clinical diagnosis of a malignant lower limb mas s. This diagnosis was usually based on the presence of a firm, painles s mass. However, imaging revealed a heterogeneous group of benign path ologies: haemangioma (two cases), haematoma (two cases), aneurysm (two cases), and one case each of infection, myositis ossificans, Baker's cyst, lipoma, muscle rupture, and venous malformation. During the same period there was only one malignant soft tissue neoplasm. A variety o f imaging techniques were used but ultrasound combined with colour flo w Doppler was the single most helpful modality. The radiological diagn osis were confirmed by biopsy, surgery or clinical follow-up.