Are the symptoms of synovial sarcoma obvious? What are they?

Synovial sarcoma often occurs in the large joints of the limbs, and may also appear in the forearms, thighs, etc. This is a painless lump. Generally, after the disease occurs, the patient will feel swelling near the joints, or a lump. The skin surface of the lump will also change, usually redness.

Most are large, fast-growing tumors that develop in the thigh, buttocks, shoulder girdle, or upper arm. The small ones are superficial lumps that grow entirely on the dorsum of the hands and feet. There is mild pain and tenderness, and sometimes no obvious symptoms. The growth is slow, the swelling is diffuse, the skin is locally red, the skin temperature is increased, the veins are distended, and the movement is limited. Some grow rapidly from the beginning, show obvious symptoms, and metastasize earlier. Synovial sarcoma has a higher chance of lymph node metastasis than other soft tissue sarcomas.

It is more common in adolescent and middle-aged patients, with more males than females. The most common sites are near large joints, mainly the knees, followed by the ankles, hips and shoulders. More than half of the cases occurred in the lower limbs, and a quarter of the cases occurred in the upper limbs. The neck and trunk are less common. The tumor grows invasively and is prone to recurrence after resection. The course of the disease varies. It is a painless mass at first, which grows larger and causes varying degrees of pain. Generally, the tumor can invade the surrounding bone tissue. When the tumor is large, it affects joint movement.

Synovial sarcoma presents as a mild, soft tissue mass located deep within the deep fascia. A slowly enlarging, painless, juxta-articular mass is the predominant clinical finding. Physical examination revealed that the mass was firm and fixed to the underlying structures. It is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in the hands and feet, and synovial sarcomas in this area are often mistaken for ganglion cysts.