Malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

A malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the shoulder in an elderly woman is reported. This heterogenous tumor is thought to be the most common soft tissue sarcoma of late adult life. Typically, the tumor appears as an enlarging soft tissue mass in the proximal portion of an extremity. On histological examination, the tumor contains a bimodal cell population of fibroblast and histiocytelike cells. The location, size, and depth of the tumor have a significant effect upon survival. The biological behavior of malignant fibrous histiocytoma is usually one of local recurrence followed by metastasis. At the present time complete surgical removal offers the best hope for cure.