Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Niknejad M, MacManus D, Wilczek M, et al. Leave alone lesions - skeletal. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-23003
Skeletal leave alone lesions, also called “don't touch” or "do-not-touch" lesions, are so characteristic radiographically that further diagnostic tests such as a biopsy are unnecessary and can be frankly misleading and lead to additional unnecessary surgery. Thus, a radiologic diagnosis should be made without a list of differential possibilities.
These lesions can be divided into three categories - post-traumatic lesions, normal variants, and lesions that are real but obviously benign.
History and etymology
Initially described by the renowned musculoskeletal radiologist Clyde Helms in the chapter of his book entitled "don't touch lesions" 1, 12.
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