Infiltrative pattern of carcinomatosis in extremity muscles on MRI

Carcinomas can cause an unusual, infiltrative pattern of metastatic carcinoma in extremity muscles on MRI. To assess this pattern, reports of MRI exams of 907 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of carcinoma were reviewed retrospectively to identify those that mentioned muscle metastasis or myositis in an extremity. Thirty-six (4%) of those reports described muscle metastasis (n=18) or myositis (n=18); based on medical record review and imaging follow-up, 17 cases represented metastases. Metastases manifested as an infiltrative carcinomatosis pattern in five patients, resulted from primary esophageal or gastric adenocarcinomas, and often were misdiagnosed as myositis.