| Abstract: |
Primary neoplasms of the liver are rare in childhood and constitute 0.3-2% of all pediatric tumors. Malignant neoplasms account for 1% of all pediatric malignancies and are the third most common intra-abdominal neoplasm after neuroblastoma and nephroblastoma. The two primary malignant neoplasms of the liver are hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. For both these malignant tumors, complete resection of the tumor is necessary to achieve a cure. Detailed description of hepatic segmental anatomy has enabled surgeons to resect larger tumors in the recent years. This appreciation of the anatomy and the regenerative capability of the liver, which allows up to 85% of the liver to be safely removed in small infants, have greatly increased the scope for cure. The incidence of benign liver tumors in children is less than their malignant counterpart, and in a large series of pediatric liver tumors, benign tumors accounted for less than 35%. The benign tumors include heman-giomas or vascular malformations, hepatocellular adenomas, focal nodular hyperplasia, mesenchymal hamartomas, and various types of cysts and cystic disease. With widespread use of ultrasonography, fortuitous discoveries of benign tumors are being made in a large number of children, and this raises the question of optimal surgical management for the surgeon. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg. |
