An analysis of autopsy cases of malignant soft tissue and bone tumors

: Clinicopathologically we studied the autopsy cases including 110 soft tissue sarcoma (28 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 23 rhabdomyosarcomas, 18 leiomyosarcomas, 11 liposarcomas, 7 synovial sarcomas, 4 angiosarcomas, 3 malignant schwannomas, and 16 others) and 29 malignant bone tumors (19 osteosarcomas, 3 Ewing's sarcomas, 3 chondrosarcomas, and 4 others). We may summarize as follows: (1) In autopsy cases sarcomas occurring in the retroperitoneum outnumbered those in surgical cases in frequency, probably because most retroperitoneal tumors could not be removed and were difficult to diagnose without the help of autopsy findings. (2) Metastases were disclosed most often in the lungs, followed by the bones and liver. Lymph-node metastases were also encountered more frequently than expected, particularly in rhabdomyosarcoma (48%) and synovial sarcoma (57%). (3) Transition in histologic features, including cellular differentiation, nuclear grade and cellularity, from the surgically resected tumors to the tumors at autopsy in the same case, occurred not infrequently.