Para-articular and intra-articular soft tissue lesions: Radiologic-pathologic correlation.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Pathology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Articular masses encompass diverse conditions, including neoplasms, infections, and deposition diseases.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals distinct features of intra-articular and para-articular masses.
• Accurate diagnosis relies on understanding joint anatomy and precise imaging findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define articular space and normal joint anatomy.
• To present a comprehensive MRI approach for evaluating articular lesions.
• To correlate imaging findings with histopathology for various articular masses.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on articular masses and MRI.
• Detailed description of normal joint anatomy and histology.
• Analysis of imaging features of benign/malignant neoplasms and non-neoplastic mimickers.

Main Results:

• Established definitions of intra-articular and para-articular spaces.
• Outlined a systematic MRI evaluation strategy for articular lesions.
• Provided radio-pathologic correlations for common and uncommon articular masses.

Conclusions:

• MRI is crucial for localizing and characterizing articular masses.
• Radiologists can differentiate neoplastic from non-neoplastic entities using specific imaging features.
• A combined approach of anatomical knowledge and imaging analysis aids diagnosis.