The cases of eighty-three patients who had a soft-tissue tumor or tumor-like lesion in the foot or ankle were retrospectively analyzed to determine the relative frequency of the lesions and which factors, if any, could be used to identify them preoperatively. Seventy-two (87 per cent) of the lesions were benign, with ganglion cysts and plantar fibromatoses being the most common, and eleven (13 per cent) were malignant tumors, five (45 per cent) of which were synovial sarcomas. The age of the patient and the location of the lesion were the two most important factors that characterized the malignant tumors. For eight patients (12 per cent), radiographs were helpful in identifying the nature of the lesion. The sex of the patient, a history of trauma, the duration of the symptoms, the size of the lesion, and the presence of pain or of neurological symptoms were not useful in discriminating a benign lesion from a malignant tumor.