title: Primary retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma: Imaging appearances, pitfalls and diagnostic algorithm.
abstract: Although retroperitoneal sarcomas are rare tumours, they can be encountered by a wide variety of clinicians as they can be incidental findings on imaging or present with non specific symptoms and signs. Surgical resection can offer hope of cure and patient outcomes are improved when patients are managed in high-volume specialist centers. Failure to recognize retroperitoneal sarcomas on imaging can lead to inappropriate management in inexperienced centers. Therefore it is critical that a diagnosis of retroperitoneal sarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass with prompt referral to a soft tissue sarcoma unit. In particular, the most common retroperitoneal sarcoma subtypes, liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma, have characteristic imaging appearances which are discussed. This review therefore aims to set the context and guide clinicians through a diagnostic pathway for retroperitoneal masses in adults which arise extrinsic to the solid abdominal viscera.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK. Electronic address: Christina.Messiou@rmh.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Messiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moskovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Rizzoli Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benchimol
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Surgery, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Physics, Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miah
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Douis
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Surgery, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Houdt
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonvalot
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D062005:Biopsy, Large-Core Needle; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: CT; Diagnosis; MRI; Retroperitoneum; Soft tissue sarcoma