Soft tissue sarcomas in Mosul : a pathologic evaluation

Abstract EN

Objective : Histochemical and immunohistochemical examination of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in Mosul to assess the value of these techniques in verifying the primary diagnosis.

Methods : Paraffin embedded tissue blocks of 35 cases of soft tissue sarcomas collected over a period of 20 months in Mosul, were utilized.

H & E, reticulin, and Van Gieson's staining techniques and immunohistochemical marker for S-100 protein were applied to all the cases.

Results : Soft tissue sarcoma accounts for 16.4 % of the total of 213 cases of benign and malignant soft tissue neoplasm’s, with a mean age of 30.5 years ,and a male preponderance ( Male : Female ratio of1.7:1).

The most common histologic subtypes are extraskeletal Ewing’s sarcoma (ES), dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), and spindle cell sarcoma, not other wise specified (NOS).

The extremities are affected in 51.4 % of all cases, particularly the lower limbs.

The majority of soft tissue sarcomas belong to the high grade category by applying French Federation of Cancers Centers Sarcoma Group (FFCCSG) and American Joint Cancer Committee (AJCC) grading schemes .Both reticulin and Van Gieson's stains have been successfully depicting the growth patterns of different subtypes.

Immunoreactivity for S-100 protein was positive in two cases.

Conclusions : High quality H & E stained sections remain the best method for establishing the diagnosis of sarcomas.

Reticulin stain proved extremely helpful in subclassifying sarcomas and S-100 protein was instrumental in changing the diagnosis of sarcoma in one case.