Morphological Spectrum Of Soft Tissue Tumors: A Four-Year Retrospective Study From A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/ejac.v20i1.1175Keywords:
Benign, Lipoma, Sarcoma, Soft tissue tumour.Abstract
Background: Soft tissue tumors (STTs) represent a diverse group of neoplasms arising from mesenchymal tissues. Given their wide morphological spectrum, a combined cyto-histopathological approach plays a crucial role in accurate diagnosis. While Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) offers a minimally invasive, rapid, and cost-effective preliminary tool, histopathology remains the gold standard. The aim of the present study is Morphological Spectrum of Soft Tissue Tumors.
Methodology: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted over a four-year period in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Maharashtra. All histologically confirmed soft tissue tumor biopsies were included. Tumors were classified according to the WHO classification using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the Chi-square test was applied for categorical variables (P < 0.05 considered significant).
Results: Among the 657 STTs analyzed, 93.60% were benign, while intermediate and malignant tumors each accounted for 3.20%. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1, with most cases occurring in the third and fifth decades of life. Adipocytic tumors were the most common subtype (70.41%), followed by peripheral nerve sheath tumors (15.45%). Intermediate-grade tumors were seen predominantly in middle-aged patients. Malignant tumors were most frequent in individuals over 61 years, with tumors of uncertain differentiation (33.33%) being the most common malignant subtype, followed by malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (14.29%).
Conclusion: Benign STTs, particularly adipocytic tumors, are the most prevalent. FNAC, combined with thorough histopathological evaluation and WHO-based classification, remains a valuable diagnostic approach. A multidisciplinary correlation enhances diagnostic precision and prognostic assessment.
References
Begum S, Kathirvelu S, Vaithy KA, Srinivasan S. Clinico-pathological study of soft tissue tumors. Indian J Pathol Oncol. 2020;7(2):259–65.
Solanki DP, Mangar DU. Study of histopathological pattern of soft tissue tumours in tertiary care centre of Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. Trop J Pathol Microbiol. 2018;4(8):604–9.
Patrichi AI, Gurzu S. Pathogenetic and molecular classifications of soft tissue and bone tumors: A 2024 update. Pathol Res Pract. 2024 Aug 1;260:155406.
Mack T, Purgina B. Updates in pathology for retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma. Curr Oncol. 2022;29(9):6400–8. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol29090504
Deepak MB, Suchitha S, Manjunath GV, Bharadwaj I. Clinico-pathological study of benign soft tissue tumors: a study from tertiary teaching hospital. Trop J Pathol Microbiol. 2016;2(3):134–41. https://doi.org/10.17511/jopm.2016.i03.09
Ingale Y, Bavikar R, Kulkarni S, Kale N. Histological spectrum of benign soft-tissue neoplasm in a tertiary care center. Clin Cancer Investig J. 2021;10(3):108–11.
Gassert FG, Gassert FT, Specht K, et al. Soft tissue masses: distribution of entities and rate of malignancy in small lesions. BMC Cancer. 2021;21:93. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-020-07769-2
Fletcher CDM, Baldini EH, Blay JY, Gronchi A, Lazar AJ, Messiou C, et al. Soft tissue tumours: Introduction. In: WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board, editor. WHO classification of tumours. Soft tissue and bone tumours. 5th ed. Lyon: IARC Press; 2020. p. 6–12.
Priya K, Vandana, Bariar NK. A retrospective evaluation of soft tissue tumors in tertiary care centre: a clinic-pathological investigation. Int J Pharm Clin Res. 2021;13(6):676–82.
Jumaniyazova E, Lokhonina A, Dzhalilova D, Kosyreva A, Fatkhudinov T. Immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of soft tissue sarcomas. Cancers (Basel). 2023;15(24):5760. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15245760
Soni PB, Verma AK, Chandoke RK, Nigam JS. A prospective study of soft tissue tumors histocytopathology correlation. Pathol Res Int. 2014;2014:678628. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/678628
Amirtharajan V, Prabha M. Clinicopathological study of soft tissue tumours in a tertiary care hospital in South India. Int J Res Med Sci. 2022;10:2416–9.
Ingale YP, Kale NC, Puranik SC. A clinico-pathological evaluation of soft tissue tumors in tertiary care centre. Indian J Pathol Oncol. 2019;6(4):652–7.
Dhiwan P, Bhat S, Bhat P, Srivastav S. Histomorphological spectrum of soft tissue tumours at a tertiary care hospital in Garhwal region: A retrospective study. Int J Med Sci Clin Res Rev. 2024;7(2):223–7.
Teferi SM, Tadele AK, Ayele SA, Wodajo AA, Korga TI. Histopathologic patterns of soft tissue tumors in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Sidama Ethiopia: A 5-year retrospective study. Clin Oncol. 2022;7:1951.
Pratti SD, Oruganti DE. Spectrum of soft tissue tumors: A two-year clinicopathological study at tertiary level hospital. Indian J Pathol Oncol. 2019;6(4):622–6.
Chikkannaiah P, Boovalli MM, Nathiyal V, Venkataramappa S. Morphological spectrum of peripheral nerve sheath tumors: An insight into World Health Organization 2013 classification. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2016;7(3):346–54. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-3147.182768
Tapadar KS, Deka MK, Chaubey RN, Sheikh SA, Choudhury GR, Choudhury M. Histopathological study of soft tissue tumours in a tertiary health centre in southern part of Assam. Int J Res Med Sci. 2021;9:3391–6.
Priavadhana R, Meenakshisundaram K, Rajeswari T, Kunnumbrath A. Demographic and histopathologic study of soft tissue lesions in a tertiary care hospital in South India. J Med Sci Res. 2023;11(3):245–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.17727/JMSR.2023/11-45