Soft tissue masses of the epitrochlear region

Abstract

The epitrochlear lymph nodes (ELN) are rarely examined clinically and are difficult to identify radiologically in healthy patients. They are, therefore, generally under appreciated as a source of significant pathology. Despite this, enlargement of an ELN is almost always secondary to a pathological process, the differential for which is relatively narrow. The following pictorial review illustrates the spectrum of infectious, inflammatory and malignant conditions affecting the ELN, some of which are quite specific to this location. We also emphasise the importance of distinguishing enlarged ELNs from benign and malignant non-nodal soft tissue masses, which can have very similar clinical presentation and imaging appearances.