Aggressive myxoid liposarcoma of mediastinum.

Liposarcomata most frequently originate in the interfascial plane of the thigh, or in the retroperitoneal tissues.' Primary development in the mediastinum is a rare occurrence, with less than 60 cases reported in the world literature.2 3 4 5 Histopathologically, liposarcomata are classified into four basic types: well differ entiated, myxoid, round cell and pleomorphic, and the clinical behaviour and prognosis correlate closely with the histological sub-type. The development of metastases in well differentiated and myxoid tumours is rarer than in the other sub-types, but myxoid liposarcomata can metastasize as a late manifestation of the disease. We report a patient with a myxoid liposarcoma of the anterior mediastinum, which exhibited aggressive behaviour and an unusual pattern of metastases at rare sites, including the spinal epidural space, which caused spinal cord compression.