Abstract
We report three cases of well-differentiated liposarcoma of the head and neck. Case 1 was a 78-year-old man with liposarcoma of the neck and mediastinum. After thoracotomy and excision of the mediastinal lesion, the neck lesion was completely excised. Case 2 was a 41-year-old man with liposarcoma of the oropharynx and hypopharynx. The tumor recurred after transoral excision and was then completely removed using a transcervical approach. Pathologic analysis revealed myxoid degeneration, and the patient thus went postoperative radiotherapy. Case 3 was a 62-year-old man with liposarcoma of the neck and mediastinum. The tumor was completely excised using a transcervical approach.
Liposarcoma is a common soft-tissue malignancy, but rarely develops in the head and neck. A large area of excision and wide margins are usually necessary in resecting soft-tissue malignancies; however, there is no consensus regarding the treatment of well-differentiated liposarcoma, as it is considered a low- to intermediate-grade tumor. The present patients were treated with marginal excision, and there has been no recurrence to date. Our results suggest that marginal excision with preservation of adjacent organs is indicated for well-differentiated liposarcoma without surrounding invasion.
