Introduction
Benign tumours of the musculoskeletal system are common and frequently
show up as an incidental finding on an X-ray taken for other reasons. Metastases
in the skeleton are also common, particularly from carcinoma of the breast, the
prostate and the kidney. Primary malignant tumours of the musculoskeletal system
are rare, apart from those arising from the marrow such as multiple myeloma and
lymphoma.
Tumours are named after the tissue from which they have arisen. They can
be identified from their shape and their staining. Benign tumours are give the
suffix ‘oma’ and malignant tumours ‘sarcoma’ (see Table
25.1).