To investigate the clinical feature s of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) in limbs and the optimal surgical approaches effect.

The clinical records of nine patients with SFT in limbs were retrospectively reviewed in department of orthopaedics of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital between January 2005 and December 2016. There were three males and six females, with a median age of 44 years (15~55 years). Laboratory examinations showed normal results. MRI and biopsy were performed in all the cases. All the patients underwent surgical treatment with resection performed. The tumors originated from up libms in six patients, from lower limbs in three patients.

All the tumors were totally excised. There was no postoperative mortality nor major complications. Among the nine patients, six patients had tumors in the upper extremities and three in the lower extremities. The primary clinical symptoms were painless masses, three of them with the distal limb numbness symptoms of compression. All the patients accepted MRI examinations to analyse their connections, confirm the borderline and size of the diseased tissues and its relation to the adjacent tissues. MRI examinations demonstrated that appearances of lesions were various. The expressions of vimentin(nine cases), CD348(eight cases), bcl-2(six cases), signal transducers and activators of transcription(STAT)-6(three cases) and Ki67(5% to 65%) were positive by immunohistochemical analysis.

MRI can be used to survey the tumor boundary of SFT, determine the adjacent relationship of SFT, provide the proofs for the diagnosis of SFT, and provide the basis for the selection of surgical procedures. Pathological immunohistochemistry is the main method for the diagnosis of solitary fibroma and can guide the formulation of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy after operation.