[Primary sarcomas and sarcoma metastases in the liver: morphological and molecular aspects].

The considerable progress made in radiology, in surgical management with curative intent, and in the identification of molecularly targeted small molecules, such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate, in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors has greatly influenced the treatment of sarcoma manifestations within the liver. This requires not only the unequivocal pathomorphological differentiation of sarcomas from other tumor entities, e. g. spindle cell dedifferentiated/pleomorphic carcinomas, aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas or amelanotic malignant melanomas, but also an accurate subtyping of this complex group of tumors. Additionally to macroscopic and histological findings, the recognition of characteristic immunophenotypic constellations and, at least in some types of sarcoma, the identification of molecular signatures, have greatly expanded the diagnostic tools in pathology.