Synonyms
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH)
Definition
The term pleomorphic sarcoma, formerly known as malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), refers to a group of malignant soft tissue sarcomas that by a combination of sampling and immunohistochemistry show no obvious line of differentiation and by ultrastructural techniques demonstrate fibroblastic or myofibroblastic characteristics (Montgomery and Fisher 2001). Pleomorphic sarcomas are tumors that classically show a cartwheel-like or storiform growth pattern; however, this pattern is not restricted to this group of tumors but can be seen in a range of other neoplasms so that a number of ancillary studies are required before a diagnosis of “undifferentiated” pleomorphic sarcoma can be rendered (Goldblum 2014). Before the advent of modern immunohistochemical techniques, MFH used to be the most common malignant tumor of soft tissues in the adult population. Using modern monoclonal antibodies, many of these tumors can today be...
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References and Further Reading
Carneiro, A., Francis, P., Bendahl, P. O., Fernebro, J., Akerman, M., Fletcher, C., Rydholm, A., Borg, A., & Nilbert, M. (2009). Indistinguishable genomic profiles and shared prognostic markers in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and leiomyosarcoma: Different sides of a single coin? Laboratory Investigation, 89, 668–675.
Goldblum, J. R. (2014). An approach to pleomorphic sarcomas: Can we subclassify, and does it matter? Modern Pathology, 27(Suppl 1), S39–S46.
Imai, K., Saito, H., Minamiya, Y., Hashimoto, M., Kimura, Y., & Ogawa, J. (2008). Malignant fibrous histiocytoma originating from the thymus. General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 56, 606–609.
Montgomery, E., & Fisher, C. (2001). Myofibroblastic differentiation in malignant fibrous histiocytoma (pleomorphic myofibrosarcoma): A clinicopathological study. Histopathology, 38, 499–509.
Shimizu, J., Murakami, S., Oda, M., Hayashi, Y., Arano, Y., Morita, K., Watanabe, Y., & Nonomura, A. (1994). Malignant fibrous histiocytoma originating in the mediastinum: Report of a case. Surgery Today, 24, 368–370.
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Weissferdt, A., Moran, C.A. (2018). Mediastinal Pleomorphic Sarcoma. In: Allen, T.C., Suster, S. (eds) Pathology of the Pleura and Mediastinum. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66796-6_45
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66796-6_45
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