Liver Tumors in Children

ABSTRACT

Liver tumors in children are rare, relatively complex, and encompass a broad spectrum of disease processes. This study reviews our experience of liver tumors during the last 10 years. Medical records of 36 cases of liver tumors?in children, treated at Samsung Medical Centers, from October 1994 to December 2005, were reviewed in this study. We analyzed disease characters and survival rates as a whole and by specific disease. The median age was 3.6 years. Male and female ratio was 1:1. The most common symptom was the palpable mass in 15 cases. Others were abdominal distension in 9 cases, jaundice in 2, vomiting in 2, weight loss in 2, and pubic hair growth in 1. CT or US and liver biopsy were performed for diagnosis. There were 28 malignant tumors: malignant rhabdoid tumor (1 case), hepatocellular carcinoma (3 cases), hemangioendothelioma type II (3 cases), angiosarcoma (1 case), and hepatoblastoma (20 cases). Eight tumors were benign; hepatic adenoma (1 case), focal nodular hyperplasia (2 cases), hemangioendothelioma type I (2 cases), mesenchymal hamartoma (3 cases). In this study the clinical characteristics were not different from the other reports. Liver transplantation was performed in 3 cases-1 with hepatoblastoma and 2 with hepatocelleular carcinoma. Accurate and early diagnosis, and individualized multi- modality therapeutic approaches might be important for better outcome.