Magnetic resonance imaging of soft tissue masses

Twenty-nine soft tissue masses were studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which proved to be useful in the preoperative evaluation of these lesions. Other imaging modalities employed had significant limitations. Plain films were of little value because of the intrinsically low contrast of soft tissues. Angiography was not necessary unless MRI suggested a vascular lesion or proximity to major blood vessels. Computed tomography (CT) and MRI both readily identified fatty lesions and their relationship to adjacent structures. Some soft tissue tumors could not be delineated from normal muscle with CT, but were easily seen with MRI. MRI is ideally suited for the study of suspected soft tissue tumors because of its excellent soft tissue contrast and its ability to image directly in any plane. Optimum evaluation required imaging in at least two planes with spin echo sequences chosen to bring out both T1 and T2 features.