A Clinical Study of Soft Tissue Tumors in Extremities

Jahng, Jun Seop; Kang, Koon Soon; Park, Hui Wan; Choi, Nam Hong

Abstract

Soft tissues, which are widespread in body, are derived from a common primitive mesenchyme and the tumors arising from them tend to closely resemble the prototype tissue in varying degree. Some soft tissue tumors have benign course, which can be cured by local excision and the other have malignant course being resistant to therapy and resulting in recurrence to other organ of tissues. The authors reviewed 279cases of soft tissue tumors which had been treated at Department of Orthopedic Surgery in Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from January 1983 to December 1987. 1. Among 279cases of soft tissue tumors, 257(92.1%) were benign and 22(7.9%) were malignant. 2. Benign soft tissue tumors were common two times in female, and malignant tumors were relatively common in male. 3. Common sites of soft tissue tumors were 92 csses about the knee, 69 csses in the hand and wrist, 44 cases in the foot, 26 cases in the leg, 15 cases in the thigh, 14 cases about the elbow, 10 cases in the arm and foresrm. 4. The most common benign tumors was ganglion which was followed by Baker's cyst, hemangioma, fibromatosis, lipoma, epidermal cyst in decreasing order of incidence. Among malignant tumors, fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, malignant schwannoma, synovial sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma were common. 5. Most of the benign tumors was taken by locsl excision, and malignant tumors were were trested by wide resection with combination of chemotherapy. 6. Local recurrences of benign tumors were developed in 26(10.1%) out of 257cases, especially in fibromatosis and hemangioma.