MR imaging in fibromatosis: results in 26 patients with pathologic correlation

Fibromatoses are a diverse group of soft-tissue lesions that have been inconsistently categorized and treated. The purpose of our study was to establish the range of appearances of fibromatoses on MR images and perform a pathologic correlation to explain the variable signal-intensity patterns. During a 3-year period, 26 patients with deep fibromatoses were examined with MR. The MR images were evaluated for signal-intensity characteristics, and findings were correlated retrospectively with the pathologic diagnoses. The results showed that the MR appearance of fibromatoses is similar to that of other soft-tissue lesions, and the signal intensities vary greatly from lesion to lesion and within lesions themselves. The fibromatoses were either hyperintense, isointense, hypointense, or of mixed signal intensity relative to adjacent skeletal muscle. The hypointense areas appear to be zones of hypocellularity and dense collagen deposition. Microscopically all of the lesions invaded adjacent structures, but the MR appearances of the margins varied and were judged to be well demarcated (n = 14), intermediate (n = 5), or poorly demarcated (n = 6). Our experience shows that fibromatoses have a variable MR appearance no different from that of other soft-tissue lesions, and this variability reflects the composition and cellularity of the lesions.