Geographic appearance

Geographic appearance is a term used in imaging, and other clinical fields (e.g. histopathology) to describe lesions with a well-circumscribed margins with adjacent tissues.  The term derives from the somewhat similar appearance of the outline of countries on a map or the clear demarcation formed by the coastline against the sea .

The usage is most commonly found in the reporting of bone lesions, especially eosinophilic granuloma e.g. skull. It can also be used to describe variations in hepatic fat deposition .

In describing bone lesions, the boundary need not be sclerotic.