Evaluation of Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Detection and Characterization of Soft Tissue masses of the Hand and Wrist

Abstract

he wrist and hand region is very unique in several ways. It has the most complex and variable anatomical structure in the whole body and is very vital in daily activities. It is the seat of several pathologies and it is also the site where many diseases first manifest themselves. That is why it is a common site for complaint. Most of the wrist problems are associated with swelling which may be diffuse or localized according to the etiology. Thus by defining the nature of wrist swelling a diagnosis can be reached (Faisal et al., 2019). Frequently the etiology of a soft tissue mass cannot be established by conventional radiographs and further imaging is necessary (Jimenez et al., 2005). Plain films and CT may detect calcification and allow assessment of adjacent bony structures but, unlike MRI, do not offer much in the way of tissue characterization. Ultrasound has an extremely useful role in localizing lesions and determining if the lesion is cystic or solid, but further tissue characterization is limited (Teefey et al., 2000). The vast majority of soft tissue mass lesions of the wrist and hand are benign (Nguyen et al., 2004). In general, benign soft tissue tumors are estimated to be 100 times more common than malignant soft tissue tumors, with a reported annual clinical incidence of 300 per 100,000. Magnetic resonance