Soft Tissue Mass with Calcification

Differential considerations for a soft tissue mass with calcifications includes:

• Vascular tumors: Phleboliths can be seen in hemangioma, angioleiomyoma, arterovenous malformation, aneurysm, lymphangioma.
• Myositis ossificans: Peripheral calcifications typical.
• Soft tissue chondroma: Punctuate or ring and arc calcification.
• Schwannoma: Cystic areas with hemorrhage and calcification.
• Synovial chondromatosis: Juxtaarticular osteocartilaginous mass
• Lipoma:
• Hamartoma:
• Fibromatosis:
• Fat necrosis:
• Abscess:
• Synovial cell sarcoma: Nonspecific dystrophic calcifications in a slowly growing lower extremity mass in a young adult is the classic presentation. Calcification in ~30% of cases with a central distribution.
• Infantile myofibromatosis:
• Metastatic or extraskeletal osteosarcoma:
• Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma:
• Pilomatricoma:
• Osteoma cutis:
• Melorheostosis: Can be associated with soft tissue calcifications.

References

Gartner L, Pearce CJ, Saifuddin A. The role of the plain radiograph in the characterisation of soft tissue tumours. Skeletal Radiol. 2009 Jun;38(6):549-58.