Radiodiagnosis Role in Differentiating between Benign and Malignant Bone Tumors

Abstract

The evaluation of bone tumors can be a challenge to any practitioner. The goal is to discern the benign bone lesion from the malignant bone lesion in the office or hospital setting. When evaluating a patient with a bone lesion, it is important to take multiple factors into consideration. One usually can narrow the probability of a tumor being benign or malignant based on the patient’s age, location of the lesion in the body, the lesion’s location within the bone and radiographic findings. Due to the rarity of primary malignant bone neoplasms and the varied imaging presentation of focal bone lesions, radiologists outside oncology centers tend to have little experience in reporting this type of anomaly. Thus, imaging reports might be unclear and misleading, increasing the risk of misdiagnosis and suboptimal patient management. Bone tumors can be a challenge to even the most experienced radiologist or oncologist. The key to differentiating the benign from the aggressive and potentially malignant lesion is to understand the basic radiographic differences between the two. The podiatric physician should be able to narrow down the differential diagnosis based on the patient’s clinical findings, age, the lesion’s location in the bone and the radiographic appearance of the tumor.