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WHO Classification of Soft Tissue Tumors

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Imaging of Soft Tissue Tumors

Abstract

Soft tissue tumors (STT) represent a complex group of lesions that may show a broad range of differentiation. The WHO (World Health Organization) classification has been up-to-dated in 2013 for the purpose of uniformity. The major modifications from the previous edition are the addition of three new chapters: gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), nerve sheath tumors, and undifferentiated/unclassified sarcomas. The classification includes the following groups: (1) adipocytic tumors, (2) fibroblastic/myofibroblastic tumors, (3) so-called fibrohistiocytic tumors, (4) smooth muscle tumors, (5) pericytic (perivascular) tumors, (6) skeletal muscle tumors, (7) vascular tumors, (8) gastrointestinal stromal tumors, (9) nerve sheath tumors, (10) chondro-osseous tumors, (11) tumors of uncertain differentiation and (12) undifferentiated/unclassified sarcomas.

This chapter reviews the main features of the classification with the major changes within the different categories of soft tissue tumors. The WHO classification might serve as a guide for radiologists working in a multidisciplinary committee with clinicians, surgeons, and pathologists.

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Correspondence to Joan C. Vilanova MD, PhD .

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Vilanova, J.C. (2017). WHO Classification of Soft Tissue Tumors. In: Vanhoenacker, F., Parizel, P., Gielen, J. (eds) Imaging of Soft Tissue Tumors. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46679-8_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46679-8_11

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