Hepatic neoplasms in childhood - a clinicopathologic study.

Primary hepatic tumours are rare in childhood. We observed nine cases between 1976 and 1995, of which eight were hepatoblastomas and one a mesenchymal hamartoma. A male-to-female ratio of 2:1 was noted; 78% of the cases occurred in children below 2 years of age. Five hepatoblastomas were of the pure epithelial type; mesenchymal components encountered in the mixed type were cartilage, bone, and spindle sarcomatous cells.