Pain in Soft Tissue Tumors: A Comprehensive Retrospective Study.

Background: In the field of orthopedics, few studies have examined pain associated with soft tissue tumors. To accurately and promptly diagnose soft tissue tumors and provide appropriate treatment, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between soft tissue tumors and pain.

Methods: We analyzed data from patients with mass lesions in the extremities or trunk diagnosed by biopsy or surgery in our department and patients with ganglion cysts diagnosed by puncture between October 1, 2005, and September 30, 2011. Using medical records, we retrospectively investigated the clinical data.

Results: Data from 473 patients with 482 lesions were analyzed. Pain was observed in 204 of the 482 lesions (42.3%). So-called painful tumors accounted for approximately half of the painful lesions (45.0%). Logistic regression indicated that pain was significantly associated with so-called painful tumors (odds ratio [OR]: 5.64; P < 0.001), inflammatory nodules (OR: 3.42; P = 0.007), and sites with strong physical stimulation (OR: 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.58-3.81; P < 0.001) but not with long diameter (OR: 0.90; P = 0.001) or malignancy (OR: 1.78; P = 0.144).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that so-called painful tumors account for approximately half of soft tissue mass lesions requiring surgery, biopsy, or puncture in orthopedics. It is thus important to have a clear understanding of such tumors. Inflammatory nodules are also important in the differential diagnosis of painful soft tissue lesions. Lesions at sites exposed to strong physical stimulation can cause pain.