SLIDE TRAY #4

INFLAMMATION

MRI: Soft tissue abscess. The density of abscess is quite similar to the adjacent soft tissue. It is very hard, almost impossible to identify it on plain x-ray film. US, CT or MRI are the most effective techniques for interpretation. On MRI a focal elongated abscess appears subcutaneously in the lateral proximal aspect of the left calf. The content of the abscess appears as lower signal on Ti-weighted image, high signal on proton density-weighted (balanced) and T2-weighted images.