[Ultrasonic diagnosis of soft tissue tumors]

Ultrasonography is relatively simple to manage, has no known risks to be patient, and is quickly available, all of which makes it a valuable tool, among the imaging techniques, in the primary diagnosis and initial work-up of soft-tissue tumors. Ultrasonography can reveal the extent of a tumor. Preoperative examination of a tumor in any number of planes gives the clinician a spatial idea of its size. Additionally, the internal architecture and structure of the tumor can be assessed. Sonography can distinguish whether lesions are predominantly cystic, solid, or more complex. Calcium deposits or foreign bodies can be demonstrated in some cases. It is difficult to delineate the margins of a tumor by sonography. Expanding and displacing tumor growth or infiltration cannot be diagnosed with certainty. Perifocal edema can make tumors appear larger than they in fact are. Ab type-specific differences of soft tissue tumors are demonstrable by sonography. Tissue differentiation is not possible.