The role of magnetic resonance imaging. When to use it and what to look for.

There are no specific MRI features which are diagnostic in bone and soft tissue sarcomas, but a combination of certain findings allows an accurate diagnosis in some cases including giant cell tumour, chondrosarcoma, liposarcoma, neurofibrosarcoma, aggressive fibromatosis and pigmented villonodular synovitis. MRI is the method of choice for staging bone and soft tissue sarcomas. It is of particular use for identifying satellite nodules and skip lesions within the same bone or anatomical compartment. CT scan is important for screening for pulmonary metastases, and bone scan remains useful for screening for distant skeletal disease. The biopsy should be planned and performed after any MRI examination. MRI is the most sensitive post-therapy evaluation for local recurrence of bone and soft tissue sarcoma.