Ulaner GA et al. – This study determined the prevalence of radiologically suspicious lymph nodes in patients with newly diagnosed angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) along with frequency of pathologically confirmed node malignancy. The authors concluded that orthopedic surgeons should be aware of misdiagnosis of new AFH with benign lymph nodes as malignant nodes. Also, suspicious nodes may be restricted using less invasive methods like image guided biopsy.

Methods

• This retrospective, single–center study enrolled 54 patients with AFH treated between 1993 and 2005.
• Of the 54 evaluable patients, 19 patients had undergone pretherapy imaging using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, n = 19) and 4 patients also underwent fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET CT).
• Patients with suspicious nodes were identified using imaging reports, who subsequently underwent pathologic evaluation for detecting metastatic AFH cells in the nodes.

Results

• Of 19 patients with pretherapy imaging, 7 were suspected of having nodal metastases.
• Only 1 patient had metastatic lymph nodes and remaining 6 patients were found to have benign nodes (3.2 × 1.8 cm on MRI and FGD PET CT value of 10.9).