MR imaging of foot and ankle tumors

Twenty-one patients were referred for MR imaging of mass lesions in the foot and ankle detected initially by either palpation (15 patients) or radiographs (6 patients). In 3 cases, MRI excluded a discrete mass. In the remaining 18 patients with confirmation of mass lesions, the combination of signal features and tumor location suggested a specific diagnosis in 11 patients (61%). In 4 other cases, correlation with radiographs suggested likely diagnoses. In 3 cases, the MRI appearance was nonspecific. We conclude that the combination of signal features and tumor location at MR imaging often permits characterization of tumors of the foot and ankle.