ABSTRACT
The Greek word Sarkoma means fleshy growth. For the most part, sarcomas of bone and soft tissue refer to malignant tumors arising from tissues derived from the primitive mesoderm. This designation is based on embryologic rather than morphologic criteria. Therefore malignant tumors of blood vessels, although they arise from vascular endothelium, are sarcomas rather than carcinomas. Peripheral nerve sheath tumors are exceptional, since they arise in tissues derived from ectoderm. They are included because of the similarities in anatomic distribution, pathologic appearance and clinical behavior.
