Diagnostic value of ultrasonography and other imaging examinations in patients with intramuscular myxoma: A case series and literature review.

Intramuscular myxoma (IM) is a rare benign soft tumor of mesenchymal origin. Most IMs are located in the large skeletal muscles, and they are typically painless slow-growing masses that are detected incidentally. Surgical excision of IM usually has a good prognosis. Because of its rarity, diagnosing IM via imaging modalities such as ultrasonography (US), computed tomography, positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be challenging. Relevant literature and cases were selected as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Characteristic imaging findings include a well-defined, ovoid mass with regular morphology and an orientation whereby the long axis is aligned with the course of muscle fibers. In US, IMs exhibit solid cystic mixed echo without obvious blood flow signal. However, MRI reveals hypointensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintensity on T2-weighted images with mild and patchy enhancement. In cases of suspected or potential IM, US and MRI can provide excellent resolution at a reasonable cost. This report aims to improve the recognition rate of IM. Herein, we review imaging characteristics that can contribute to the differential diagnosis of IM.