Ultrasound appearances of peripheral nerve tumours

Abstract

Diagnostic ultrasound is well established as an imaging modality for identifying peripheral soft-tissue masses (Bernardino et al, 1981; Bluth et al, 1982). However, little has been reported about the ultrasound appearances of peripheral nerve tumours; we could find only two case reports (Chinn et al, 1982; Reuter et al, 1982). We present three patients with peripheral nerve tumours, all with similar ultrasound appearances. A 68-year-old woman had a history of a lump in the right popliteal fossa for 3 years. This had been slowly increasing in size and had recently become painful. Palpation revealed a 2 cm lesion in the midline and produced pain radiating down to the instep.