Magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with soft tissue sarcoma of the leg

A patient with a high grade malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the leg is presented. Staging studies included a 99mTc diphosphonate bone scan, an arteriogram, a computed tomogram (CT) and a proton (1H) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. By manipulating imaging parameters to enhance contrast between normal and neoplastic tissues, the latter technique more accurately delineated the extent of the soft tissue sarcoma than the other imaging modalities. Although spatial resolution of MRI is inferior to that of CT, it is likely that MRI will provide important information relative to surgical staging and preoperative planning that is not available from current imaging techniques.