[Radiological diagnostics of malignant tumors of the musculoskeletal system in childhood and adolescence]

Radiologe. 2008 Oct;48(10):962-8. doi: 10.1007/s00117-008-1651-8.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma are the most common malignant tumors of the musculoskeletal system in childhood and adolescence representing about 10% of newly diagnosed cancers in children and adolescents.In the last two decades the prognosis of patients with such malignancies improved significantly. On the one hand because of the advances in chemotherapy and orthopedic surgery, on the other hand also because of the innovations in radiological diagnostics. The precise pre-therapeutical staging of tumors of the musculoskeletal system provides important prognostic information and has impact on the entire therapy management. During respectively after therapy, imaging is extremely important in the follow-up and in diagnosing a possible recurrent disease.Modern imaging diagnostics of musculoskeletal tumors basically consist of conventional X-ray, of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and of modalities of nuclear medicine such as szintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET) and PET CT.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Femoral Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Femoral Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Muscle Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Osteosarcoma / diagnosis
  • Osteosarcoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Prognosis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / diagnosis
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / diagnosis
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*