Follow-up of musculoskeletal tumors. I. Local recurrence.

The prognosis for a patient with a musculoskeletal sarcoma has improved considerably over the past two decades largely due to the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. Surgical techniques have become more sophisticated with limb salvage, the preferred management in the majority of cases. Imaging plays an important role in the assessment of suspected local recurrence of tumor. This pictorial essay reviews the different imaging options and highlights various pitfalls in the detection and diagnosis of recurrence. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in this respect is stressed.