Pleomorphic liposarcoma: Updates and current differential diagnosis

William J Anderson; Vickie Y Jo

doi:10.1053/j.semdp.2019.02.007

Pleomorphic liposarcoma: Updates and current differential diagnosis

Semin Diagn Pathol. 2019 Mar;36(2):122-128. doi: 10.1053/j.semdp.2019.02.007. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Authors

William J Anderson¹, Vickie Y Jo²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
² Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States. Electronic address: vjo@bwh.harvard.edu.

PMID: 30852046
DOI: 10.1053/j.semdp.2019.02.007

Abstract

Pleomorphic liposarcoma is the least common but most aggressive subtype of liposarcoma. Tumors most commonly arise in the deep soft tissues of the extremities in adult patients. Pleomorphic liposarcoma has no specific immunohistochemical or molecular genetic features, and the presence of lipoblasts remains the sole diagnostic criterion. Diagnostic challenges include the identification of lipoblasts, which are often scarce or focal, and the distinction from other pleomorphic sarcomas, including dedifferentiated liposarcoma with homologous lipoblastic differentiation. This review provides an updated overview of the clinicopathologic features of pleomorphic liposarcoma, with discussion of its morphologic variants, differential diagnosis, and the role of small biopsy samples.

Keywords: Liposarcoma; Pleomorphic; Sarcoma; Soft tissue tumors.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Diagnosis, Differential*
Humans
Liposarcoma / diagnosis*
Liposarcoma / pathology*
Soft Tissue Neoplasms / diagnosis*
Soft Tissue Neoplasms / pathology*