Efficacy and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Follow-Up of Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremities and Trunk

Figure 3

A 42-year-old patient was referred to us after a R1 resection of G2 fibrosarcoma of the left flank at another hospital. The postoperative T1 contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed a contrast-enhancing lesion in the subcutaneous tissue (a). An R0 resection was achieved, and adjuvant radiation with 60 Gy followed. The follow-up at six months postoperatively showed a contrast-enhancing nodular lesion, and a sarcoma accumulation (b). The next follow-up after three months demonstrated an increase in size of the nodular lesion (c) so that the patient was recommended to undergo another resection with flap coverage. Histology confirmed the recurrence of the fibrosarcoma. Further course was uneventful, with no suspicion of recurrence after 4 years (d). Resection of the recurrence and coverage with a pedicled anterolateral thigh flap is shown in (e) and the postoperative result in (f).

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)