CT diagnosis of hepatoblastoma in children / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To improve the recognition of various CT appearances of hepatoblastoma(HB) and evaluate the role of CT in diagnosis. Method In a total of 24 cases, abdominal scan was performed. In 12 of them contrast enhanced CT was available. The CT manifestions of the 24 HB cases were retrospectively analyzed and correlated with clinical pathological findings. Results Fourteen tumors involved the right lobe, 4 tumors involved the left lobe,and 6 both liver lobes. One case invaded the liver diffusely.Most of HB appeared as an intrahepatic well circumscribed round or lobulated solid mass with or without pseudocapsule.Three of them manifested as multiple nodules and distributed in one or both liver lobes.Exophytic growing of tumor was seen in 7 cases. The tumor mass usually exhibited inhomogeneous density and heterogeneous enhancement,some associated with reticular and curvilinear density.Peripheral rim enhancement was present in 3 cases.Calcified foci were found in 6 cases.The hepatic parenchyma outside the tumor was normal in all cases.Two subdiaphragmatic and greater omentum tumor infiltrations could not be found on CT scan. Rare findings included tumor thrombus in one case in IVC, lymphnode metastasis in one case. Conclusion The various CT patterns described in this study are helpful in recognizing and evaluating the prognosis of HB.CT scan could acurately localize and characterize the mass,while not always correct in tumor staging.