Avoiding diagnostic pitfalls in mimics of neoplasia: the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic approach |
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Authors: | Ely Zarina Samsudin Tunku Kamarul Azura Mansor |
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Affiliation: | 1.Clinical Investigation Centre, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;2.National Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence for Research and Learning (NOCERAL), Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
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Abstract: | Any medical diagnosis should take a multimodal approach, especially those involving tumour-like conditions, as entities that mimic neoplasms have overlapping features and may present detrimental outcomes if they are underdiagnosed. These case reports present diagnostic pitfalls resulting from overdependence on a single diagnostic parameter for three musculoskeletal neoplasm mimics: brown tumour (BT) that was mistaken for giant cell tumour (GCT), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis mistaken for osteosarcoma and a pseudoaneurysm mistaken for a soft tissue sarcoma. Literature reviews revealed five reports of BT simulating GCT, four reports of osteomyelitis mimicking osteosarcoma and five reports of a pseudoaneurysm imitating a soft tissue sarcoma. Our findings highlight the therapeutic dilemmas that arise with musculoskeletal mimics, as well as the importance of thorough investigation to distinguish mimickers from true neoplasms. |
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Keywords: | diagnosis errors musculoskeletal neoplasms tumour-like conditions |
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