Ultrasound of soft‐tissue masses: Pitfalls in interpretation

Abstract

A review of 43 patients with soft-tissue tumours identified from a tumour registry showed a 23% rate of incorrect initial diagnosis by ultrasound imaging. Seven patients, five with malignant tumours, suffered a delay in diagnosis (ranging up to 6 months) as a result. The most common error was to mistake a solid tumour for a haematoma. Caution is recommended in the interpretation of ultrasound of soft-tissue masses, particularly with regard to the erroneous diagnosis of haematoma.