The myxoid tumors of somatic soft tissues.

Tumors and tumorous conditions of superficial and deep soft tissues may owe their naked-eye appearance and much of their bulk to the accumulation of mucopolysaccharide material or, on rare occasions, to edema. The so-called myxoid tumors may be chondroblastic, fibroblastic, lipoblastic, myoblastic, or neurogenic. Benign and malignant tumors may be encountered. Naked-eye and microscopic appearances are described. Pseudotumors such as bursae, ganglia, cutaneous mucinoses, fasciitis, and myxoid cysts may enter the differential diagnosis. The value of accurate documentation is stressed. Histochemistry can make a limited contribution to diagnosis. The entities described have been examined with regard to alcian blue staining with and without pretreatment with hyaluronidase. Alcian blue staining in the presence of increasing concentrations of magnesium chloride has been investigated and found to be of value in the identification of tumors of chondroblastic origin.