Imaging in Common Pediatric Soft Tissue Masses

There are numerous soft tissue tumors and tumor like conditions in pediatric population. Some of them are limited to this group age because      of        congenital                 nature, however manifestation could be later with patient growth. Among different types of soft tissue masses vascular anomalies are commonly encountered in pediatric population and include vascular malformations and true tumors.           Hemangioma        is    true    vascular neoplasm and vascular malformations result from   errors   in   vascular morphogenesis. Vascular malformations are categorized by predominant vessel type, including capillary, venous, lymphatic, arterial, and combinations. Clinical history and physical examination can lead tocorrect diagnosis ,however, imaging role is for characterizing clinically indeterminate lesions and also in determining the extent of disease. In vascular malformation the most important point is distinction between high- flow and low-flow lesions because treatment plan is different. Ultrasound (gray scale and doppler) and MRI are the mainstay modalities in imaging work up and have complementary role in establishing diagnosis .The aim of this presentation is imaging approach to vascular anomalies and introducing useful criteria for diagnosis of different subtypes.