Liposarcoma physical examination

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alejandro Lemor, M.D. [2]

Physical Examination

• The physical examination findings will depend on the location of the lyposarcoma, the most common locations are in the extremities or retroperitoneal.
• It is important to search for lymph node enlargement to determine the stage of the disease.
• An entire body examination is mandatory to assess lymph node involvement and distant metastasis.

Liposarcoma in the right knee. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

File:Liposarcomajpg

Liposarcoma in the left scapular region. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Extremities

• The most common location is in the lower extremities, specially in the tight or popliteal region.
• A painless mass is palpated in the anatomic location of the liposarcoma.
• In the physical examination, is important to assess the following characteristics:

• Size
• Location
• Depth
• Involvement of adjacent structures (such as peripheral nerves or veins)
• Edema

Abdominal

• The physical examination might be unremarkable in case of retroperitoneal liposarcomas.
• Physical findings include:

• Palpable mass in any of the abdominal quadrants (more common in the lower quadrants)