Benign tumors of the liver in children: analysis of a series of 20 cases.

Twenty children were treated for a benign hepatic tumor during a 17-year period. One child was not operated upon but followed since birth for 2 years by ultrasonogram. Mesenchymal hamartoma was found in 8 cases, a solitary cyst in 4, and 3 other cases of hamartomas were without cystic components. Two girls had lesions corresponding to focal nodular hyperplasia; two children had a solitary adenoma. Radical surgical treatment was possible in all 19 operated cases, except one case of focal nodular hyperplasia where a right lobectomy would have been necessary. Ultrasonography and angiography are the main explorations to be undertaken before treatment; preoperative embolization of the main arteries to the tumor was done in five cases, with unquestionable advantage in four of them. No mortality was recorded and results were good with a mean follow-up of 19 months.