The histological diagnosis of liposarcomas

Abstract

Liposarcomas are tumours which differentiate as adult or embryonic adipose tissue, are likely to recur locally, and metastasize in at least a small proportion of cases. A tumour can be regarded as differentiating as adult or embryonic adipose tissue if it produces numbers of unequivocal lipid containing lipoblasts or, if lipoblasts are absent, it manifests a histological picture which is otherwise typical of either well differentiated myxoid liposarcoma or well differentiated sclerosing liposarcoma. Histological criteria for the diagnosis of lipoblasts and liposarcoma will be illustrated. Based on these diagnostic criteria, the incidence of liposarcoma in South Australia is approximately 2.4 cases per million population per annum. This is comparable to the incidence of 2.5 per million per annum reported by Kindblom and colleagues in Sweden, suggesting that the histological criteria used in South Australia for the diagnosis of liposarcoma are the same as those operating in Sweden. If similar diagnostic criteria are employed throughout Australia, the Swedish follow-up figures and methods of treatment should be directly applicable in this country. Liposarcomas are tumours which differentiate as adult or embryonic adipose tissue, are likely to recur locally, and metastasize in at least a small proportion of cases. A tumour can be regarded as differentiating as adult or embryonic adipose tissue if it produces numbers of unequivocal lipid containing lipoblasts or, if lipoblasts are absent, it manifests a histological picture which is otherwise typical of either well differentiated myxoid liposarcoma or well differentiated sclerosing liposarcoma. Histological criteria for the diagnosis of lipoblasts and liposarcoma will be illustrated. Based on these diagnostic criteria, the incidence of liposarcoma in South Australia is approximately 2.4 cases per million population per annum. This is comparable to the incidence of 2.5 per million per annum reported by Kindblom and colleagues in Sweden, suggesting that the histological criteria used in South Australia for the diagnosis of liposarcoma are the same as those operating in Sweden. If similar diagnostic criteria are employed throughout Australia, the Swedish follow-up figures and methods of treatment should be directly applicable in this country.