Lumps and bumps around the foot and ankle: an assessment of frequency with ultrasound and MRI.

Abstract

Benign and malignant tumours and tumour-like conditions frequently present as lumps in the foot and ankle. Although definitive histological diagnosis cannot be ascertained short of a biopsy, most entities can be confidently characterised on ultrasound and/or MRI. Masses in the foot and ankle present with lump, pain, paraesthesia, restricted mobility or a combination of these. In this review we have focussed on the relative frequency of masses in the foot and ankle that present as focal lumps, with a brief description of their typical appearance on ultrasound and MRI. Ganglions were the largest group in our series representing 24 % of the masses, followed by tendon- and ligament-related lesions and, bony lesions representing 16 % and 11 % of the masses respectively.