Definition:
Hepatoblastoma is a rare malignant liver neoplasm arising in infants and children and composed of tissue resembling fetal or mature liver cells or bile ducts. They are generally present with an abdominal mass. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) commonly is heightened but when AFP is not elevated at diagnosis the prognosis is poor.
Diagnosis:
Hepatoblastoma is diagnosed through biopsy, complete blood count, additional blood tests, multiply imaging studies, computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray, ultrasound, bone scans, and alpha-feto-protein test.
Treatment:
Treatment may include (alone or in combination): surgery (to remove tumor and part or all of the liver); chemotherapy; liver transplant; supportive care (for the side effects of treatment); antibiotics (to prevent and treat infections); and continuous follow-up care (to determine response to treatment, detect recurrent disease and manage late effects of treatment).
Symptoms and Signs:
Symptoms may include of hepatoblastoma may include: a large abdominal mass, or swollen abdomen; weight loss, decreased appetite; abdominal pain; vomiting; jaundice; fever; itching skin; anemia; and back pain from compression of the tumor.
Causes:
As with other pediatric malignancies, the cause of hepatoblastoma is generally not known. Cancer has been suggested to arise from unregulated cellular differentiation and proliferation. Similarities between the developing fetal liver and the fetal epithelial-type cells of hepatoblastoma are dramatic. Developing cells of the early fetal liver and the cells of fetal hepatoblastoma are same in size and configuration. A developmental disturbance during liver formation in embryogenesis likely leads to aberrant proliferation of these undifferentiated cells.
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