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Updated: Oct 13, 2025
Establishment of a Primary Culture of Patient-derived Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Published on: April 11, 2018
Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma: Clinicopathological features and outcomes from a 5-year tertiary referral centre
Ian T Logan1, Katherine M Vroobel2, Franel le Grange3
1Department of Dermatology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Background:
Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma (PDS) describes rare dermal-based malignant tumours that are morphologically similar to atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX). PDS may be differentiated from AFX by the presence of one or more of the following histologic features: subcutaneous invasion, tumour necrosis, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and/or perineural infiltration (PNI).
Aims:
To further define the clinicopathological features, surgical management, and outcomes of PDS primary tumours.
Methods And Results:
This study was a retrospective observational case series using a database search from 2012 to 2017. Inclusion criteria required all cases to meet the histopathologic criteria for PDS as confirmed by a specialist soft-tissue histopathologist. A total of n = 17 cases were included with a median age of 78 years (range 66-85). All tumours were located on the head and neck, with 13/17 located on the scalp. Primary treatment was with wide local excision (WLE) in all cases. Median follow-up was 48 months. Local recurrence occurred in 4/17 cases (24%) and distant metastasis in 2/17 cases (12%).
Conclusion:
PDS behaves more aggressively than atypical fibroxanthoma with which it shares a biologic continuum. The optimal surgical management approach is yet to be determined.
