Imaging of liposarcomas for clinicians: Characteristic features and differential considerations

Abstract

Liposarcoma (LPS) is a malignancy of fat and one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas. There are three major subtypes of LPS: Well-differentiated / dedifferentiated, myxoid, and pleomorphic. We review the imaging features of LPS in the abdomen and extremities, describe features that help differentiate the subtypes, and provides alternative considerations for fat-containing lesions (many benign) that can mimic LPS.

Keywords: computed tomography; lipomatous lesions; liposarcoma; magnetic resonance imaging; positron emission tomography; ultrasound.