Definition
Soft tissue is defined as the supportive tissue of various organs and the nonepithelial, extraskeletal structures except for the lymphohematopoietic tissues.
This includes:
- Muscle tissue (skeletal, smooth, cardiac)
- Fibrous tissue
- Synovial tissue
- Adipose tissue
- Blood vessels
- Neuroectodermal tissues
Origin
The direct origin of soft tissue tumors is unknown.
It is, however, presumed that the tumors arising from these tissues generally begin as undifferentiated mesenchymal cells (MSCs -- mesenchymal