Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Cancer Med 2021 Jun 12. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Background: Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary pediatric liver malignancy. Indocyanine green (ICG) has been described as an adjunct to resection in small series. Its utility remains undefined in larger cohorts. Read More

Radiologe 2021 Jun 1. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Klinische Abteilung für Kinderradiologie, Universitätsklinik für Radiologie, Medizinische Universität Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, 8036, Graz, Österreich.

Background: Pediatric liver tumors are relatively rare, but thorough knowledge of their imaging features is still important.

Objectives: Frequency and imaging features of benign and malignant liver masses during childhood and adolescence.

Materials And Methods: Discussion of relevant original articles, review manuscripts and expert recommendations concerning imaging of childhood liver tumors. Read More

J Pediatr Surg 2021 Apr 25. Epub 2021 Apr 25.

Division of Pediatric Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Surgical Oncology Program, Texas Children's Liver Tumor Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA. Electronic address:

Purpose: Hepatoblastoma (HB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the most common primary malignant tumors of childhood. Intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) administration with near-infrared imaging (NIR) has emerged as a surgical technology that can be used to assist with localization of pulmonary metastases secondary to HB; however, there has been limited application as an adjunct for resection of the primary liver tumor and assessment of extrahepatic disease.

Methods: We present 14 patients treated for HB, HCC, and malignant rhabdoid tumor at our institution with the use of intraoperative NIR-ICG guidance. Read More

Eur Radiol 2021 May 25. Epub 2021 May 25.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Objectives: To evaluate the outcome of staging chest CT and to identify clinicoradiological factors predictive of lung metastasis in patients with hepatoblastoma based on the 2017 PRE-Treatment EXTent of tumor (PRETEXT) system.

Methods: This bi-center study retrospectively identified patients diagnosed with hepatoblastoma between January 1998 and September 2019 in two tertiary hospitals. The primary outcome was the proportion of the patients who had lung metastasis at staging chest CT. Read More

Gastrointest Tumors 2021 Apr 11;8(2):96-100. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Pathology, Medical School of Shiraz University, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Background: Hepatocellular malignant neoplasm, not otherwise specified (HEM, NOS), is a rare liver tumor that is most commonly seen in adolescents. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no published review on this rare tumor in the English literature so far.

Summary: In this review, we will discuss all reported details, including demographic findings, clinical presentations, molecular histogenesis, imaging, gross pathology and histopathology, immunohistochemical findings, treatment modalities, and outcome, of the published cases of HEM, NOS, in the liver. Read More

Case Rep Pathol 2021 19;2021:6674372. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

We report a case of a newborn with two synchronous tumors-sialoblastoma and hepatoblastoma-diagnosed at 20 weeks of gestation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US). The aim of this study was to describe the management of this case together with a review of the literature. Our patient had a large facial tumor associated with extremely high alpha-fetoprotein levels. Read More

Front Oncol 2021 16;11:644994. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

To explore a CT-based radiomics model for preoperative prediction of event-free survival (EFS) in patients with hepatoblastoma and to compare its performance with that of a clinicopathologic model. Eighty-eight patients with histologically confirmed hepatoblastoma (mean age: 2.28 ± 2. Read More

J Vasc Interv Radiol 2021 Apr 20. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Radiology, British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V4, Canada.

Pediatr Radiol 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Liver tumors in children can be benign or malignant. Although several clinical factors are important in the evaluation of these lesions, MRI is particularly important for lesion characterization and tumor staging. In children, use of a hepatobiliary contrast agent is recommended to evaluate a known or suspected liver lesion. Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Radiology, Emory University, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta GA 30307.

The three most common pediatric solid tumors of the abdomen are neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, and hepatoblastoma. These embryonal tumors most commonly present in the first decade of life. Each tumor exhibits unique imaging findings, including locoregional presentation and patterns of distant spread. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Mar 11;22(6). Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Chromosome Engineering Research Center, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago 683-8503, Tottori, Japan.

We sought to develop a cell-based cytotoxicity assay using human hepatocytes, which reflect the effects of drug-metabolizing enzymes on cytotoxicity. In this study, we generated luminescent human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells using the mouse artificial chromosome vector, in which click beetle luciferase alone or luciferase and major drug-metabolizing enzymes (CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4) are expressed, and monitored the time-dependent changes of CYP-mediated cytotoxicity expression by bioluminescence measurement. Real-time bioluminescence measurement revealed that compared with CYP-non-expressing cells, the luminescence intensity of CYP-expressing cells rapidly decreased when the cells were treated with low concentrations of aflatoxin B1 or primaquine, which exhibits cytotoxicity in the presence of CYP3A4 or CYP2D6, respectively. Read More

Cancer Biomark 2021 Mar 26. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Background: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is an embryonic solid tumor and the most common primary malignant liver tumor in children. HB usually occurs in infants and children. Although treatment diversity is increasing, some patients still have very poor prognosis. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Mar 17;14(3). Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Pediatric Surgery, Army Hospital Research and Referral, New Delhi, India.

Mixed epithelial mesenchymal (MEM) hepatoblastoma with teratoid features is rare histological variant of hepatoblastoma and described in case reports. Growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is a rare and often unrecognised phenomenon generally associated with less than 5% of germ cell tumour. It is defined by enlarging tumour mass which is generally mature teratoma with normal or significantly decreasing tumour markers during chemotherapy. Read More

Front Pediatr 2021 26;9:635394. Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

Currently, indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging enables radical surgical resection in hepatoblastoma (HB) and has beneficial uses; however, its usage in pediatric patients is still limited. From 2015 to 2019, 17 hepatoblastoma patients underwent 22 fluorescence-guided surgery using ICG. ICG (0. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2021 Apr 8;25(7):3524-3536. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

It has been becoming increasingly evident that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in various human cancers. However, the biological processes and clinical significance of most lncRNAs in hepatoblastoma (HB) remain unclear. In our previous study, genome-wide analysis with a lncRNA microarray found that lncRNA HOXA-AS2 was up-regulated in HB. Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2021 Feb 18;11(2). Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital-Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

The liver is the third most common site of abdominal tumors in children. This review article aims to summarize current evidence surrounding identification and diagnosis of primary hepatic tumors in the pediatric population based upon clinical presentation, epidemiology, and risk factors as well as classical imaging, histopathological, and molecular diagnostic findings. Readers will be able to recognize the features and distinguish between benign and malignant hepatic tumors within different age groups. Read More

Radiol Case Rep 2021 Apr 27;16(4):815-818. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Department of Radiology, University Children's Hospital, Tirsova 10, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.

Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT) represent a very rare group of tumors in infants that have an aggressive clinical behavior, are refractory to therapy, and have a high mortality rate. We present two cases that demonstrate the importance of early diagnosis for further treatment. The first case was a 4 and a half month old boy that presented with an enlarged liver and was treated as hepatoblastoma with metastatic changes in the lung parenchyma after the diagnosis. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jan;100(2):e24242

Department of Ultrasound.

Rationale: The drastic differences in treatment and prognosis of infantile hepatic hemangioma (IHH) and hepatoblastoma (HBL) make accurate prenatal diagnosis imperative. The retrospective comparisons of ultrasonic features between fetal IHH and HBL have been reported before, but clinically, the differential diagnosis in utero is very difficult and can lead to prenatal misdiagnosis.

Patient Concerns: A 27-year-old woman at 30 gestational weeks underwent the routine prenatal examination. Read More

Arch Argent Pediatr 2021 02;119(1):e65-e69

Sección Hepatología Infantil y Trasplante Hepático, Hospital Universitario Austral, Pilar, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Hepatic hemangioma is the most common benign liver tumor. It can be congenital or infantile with different outcomes and complications. The clinical manifestation varies from asymptomatic to severe conditions with heart failure, Kasabach- Merritt syndrome or compartment syndrome. Read More

Transl Pediatr 2020 Dec;9(6):840-848

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China.

An infectious disease named "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19) currently has brought a threat to global health security and trends to be more and more severe in many countries. It also has introduced great challenges to the diagnosis and management of children with hepatoblastoma (HB). During the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric surgeons should not only develop personalized treatment plans for HB therapy, but also emphasize the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this virus. Read More

Pediatr Radiol 2020 12 30;50(13):1907-1920. Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Department of Radiology, Pediatric Section, Baylor Scott and White Health-Temple, McLane Children's Medical Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2401 S. 31st St., MS-01-W256, Temple, TX, 76508, USA.

Fetal abdominal tumors are rare, usually benign, and cause a great deal of anxiety for expectant parents and the physicians counseling them. In this paper the author reviews the most common fetal abdominal tumors in the liver (hemangioma, mesenchymal hamartoma, hepatoblastoma, metastases) and the kidney (congenital mesoblastic nephroma, Wilms tumor, malignant rhabdoid tumor, and clear cell sarcoma), and suprarenal mass lesions (adrenal neuroblastoma, adrenal hemorrhage, and subdiaphragmatic extralobar pulmonary sequestration). The author describes the imaging approach, imaging appearance and differentiating features of tumors, and differences between fetal and childhood appearances of tumors. Read More

Mol Ther Oncolytics 2020 Dec 4;19:149-162. Epub 2020 Oct 4.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.

A previous study on hepatoblastoma revealed novel mutations and cancer genes in the Wnt pathway and ubiquitin ligase complex, including the tumor suppressor speckle-type BTB/POZ (SPOP). Moreover, the SPOP gene affected cell growth, and its S119N mutation was identified as a loss-of-function mutation in hepatoblastoma. This study aimed to explore more functions and the potential mechanism of SPOP and its S119N mutation. Read More

Eur J Cancer 2020 12 27;141:30-39. Epub 2020 Oct 27.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany. Electronic address:

Aim: Stratification of hepatoblastoma (HB) patients is based on clinical and imaging characteristics obtained at the time of diagnosis. We aim to integrate biomarkers into a tool that accurately predicts survival of HB patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 174 HB patients for the presence of four biomarkers and explored their prognostic potential by correlating with overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). Read More

BMC Pediatr 2020 10 19;20(1):483. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Department of Medical Ultrasound, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China.

Background: Fetus in fetu (FIF) is a rare congenital anomaly. The preoperative diagnosis of FIF and differentiating it from teratoma and other abdominal tumors can be challenging for radiologists. Clarification of the blood supply and the relationship with the surrounding vessels is especially helpful for successful surgery; however, multimode ultrasound (US) performed for FIF has rarely been explored. Read More

Radiol Case Rep 2020 Nov 17;15(11):2367-2370. Epub 2020 Sep 17.

Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1800 Orleans Street, Zayed Tower 7203, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.

Purpose: Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary neoplasm of the liver in the pediatric population, usually diagnosed during the first 5 years of life. Patients with large or peripheral hepatoblastomas are at risk for rupture and peritoneal hemorrhage. Image-guided, minimally invasive interventions are offered for controlling hemorrhage. Read More

Clin Imaging 2021 Jan 27;69:228-232. Epub 2020 Aug 27.

Radiology Department, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, United States of America. Electronic address:

We describe a unique case of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) in a 6-month-old-girl with elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Given the patient's age and elevated AFP, a diagnosis of hepatoblastoma was presumed. However, the histopathologic assessment of the lesion was typical for focal nodular hyperplasia. Read More

Int J Hyperthermia 2020 ;37(1):1074-1081

Department of Radiology, Interventional Oncology-Microinvasive Therapy (SIP), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Background And Aims: Surgical resection is currently the cornerstone of liver tumor treatment in children. In adults radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an established minimally invasive treatment option for small focal liver tumors. Multiprobe stereotactic RFA (SRFA) with intraoperative image fusion to confirm ablation margins allows treatment for large lesions. Read More

Cureus 2020 Aug 5;12(8):e9580. Epub 2020 Aug 5.

Pediatric Radiology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SVN.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a relatively new imaging method for use in children. It is recognized as a safe and easily performed problem-solving method. A premature 10-day-old female infant experienced unusual persistent anemia. Read More