CT features of calcifications in abdominal malignant fibrous histiocytoma

The purpose of this study was to describe the computed tomographic (CT) fea tures of intralesional calcification sin abdominal malignant fibrous histio cytomas (MFH). Forty-three pathologically proven abdominal MFH with preoper ative CT were retrospectively reviewed, of which seven tumors with intrales ional calcifications were studied with pathohistologic correlation. All sev en calcified abdominal MFH belonged to the storiform-pleomorphic subtype wi th peripherally located calcifications that appeared as either lumpy (three cases) or ringlike (four cases), which were due to the presence of variabl e amounts of osseous (six cases) and chondroid metaplasia (two cases). Abou t 16% of abdominal MFH, especially the storiform-pleomorphic subtype, exhib ited metaplastic calcifications which were characteristically located at th e periphery of the tumor and appeared a either lumpy or ringlike on CT. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1998.