SOFT-TISSUE SARCOMAS THAT MIMIC BENIGN LESIONS

Although it is well known that a variety of benign mesenchymal neoplas ma and reactive proliferations may mimic sarcomas, the fact that some types of sarcoma commonly are misinterpreted as benign is less widely appreciated. This review considers five such lesions in soft tissue:lo w grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, low grade myxofibrosarcoma (myxoid ''MFH' '), well differentiated liposarcoma (atypical lipoma), epithelioid sar coma, and so-called inflammatory fibrosarcoma. Principal reasons for t heir underrecognition are their generally bland cytology, often relati ve hypocellularity, and indolent clinical course. Common to several of these lesions, however, is a tendency for histological and hence biol ogical progression in local recurrences, underlining the importance of accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment of the primary lesion. This review considers the principal clinicopathologic features, differenti al diagnosis and (where appropriate) nosologic status of this treacher ous group of neoplasms. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company