Synovial sarcoma: frequency of nonaggressive MR characteristics

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Synovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue malignancy.
• Accurate pre-operative diagnosis is crucial for appropriate management.
• Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging plays a key role in soft tissue tumor evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the MR appearance of synovial sarcoma.
• To determine the prevalence of a nonaggressive imaging presentation in synovial sarcoma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of MR examinations from 15 patients with confirmed synovial sarcoma.
• Evaluation of imaging features including size, margins, homogeneity, internal architecture, signal intensity (T1 and T2 weighted), and bone invasion.

Main Results:

• 33% of lesions (5/15) were small (<5 cm), well-circumscribed, and homogeneous, with specific T1 and T2 signal intensities.
• Larger lesions (10/15, mean length 11.3 cm) exhibited increased heterogeneity and variable margins.

Conclusions:

• Synovial sarcoma can present with two distinct MR imaging patterns.
• Small, homogeneous lesions may mimic benign masses, potentially leading to suboptimal surgical approaches.
• Larger lesions are typically more heterogeneous, aiding in differentiation.