Malignant liver tumors (pediatric)

Pediatric malignant liver tumors are rare, some of which occur only in children but that are similar to those that occur in adults.

Epidemiology

Malignant liver tumors account for ~1% of pediatric malignancies .

Pathology

Broadly, any malignant liver mass can be defined as a metastasis or primary liver tumor. The commonest source of pediatric liver metastases is neuroblastoma .

Primary malignant hepatic neoplasms in children can broadly be classified by their cell of origin :

• epithelial (hepatocyte-derived)
  • hepatoblastoma: most common pediatric malignant liver tumor accounting for two-thirds
  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • fibrolamellar carcinoma
• mesenchyme
  • undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma
  • rhabdomyosarcoma
• vascular
  • angiosarcoma

Practical points

An understanding of the clinicopathologic features of these neoplasms and how these features affect their imaging appearance helps the radiologist offer an appropriate differential diagnosis for a child with a liver mass.

See also

• liver lesions (pediatric)
• malignant liver tumors (adult)