PRIMARY sarcoma of the liver is rare. There is confusion in the classification of these neoplasms, and this is due in part to the histologic similarity between a highly anaplastic carcinoma and a sarcoma. This classification difficulty is encountered also because the exact origin of many of these tumors is uncertain, that is, extension to the liver from the adrenal glands, diaphragm, thoracic wall, etc. For these reasons, an accurate account of the reported cases of primary sarcoma of the liver is unreliable; Shallow and Wagner1 estimated that 100 authentic cases have been reported.
The true source of mesodermal neoplasms has never actually been traced, although various opinions have been voiced in the literature.2 Many of these thoughts have been discussed in the review of Shallow and Wagner.1 Jaffe3 found that 29 per cent of his series of patients with hepatic sarcomas had a concomitant cirrhosis.