HEPATOBLASTOMA IN ADULT AGE - A REPORT OF 2 CASES

Hepatoblastoma in, adults is a rare malignancy that presents in the ep ithelial or mixed epithelial-mesenchymal variants. We report two cases , the former representing the epithelial and the latter the mixed type . A 21 year-old woman with epigastric pain had abdominal ultrasound an d CT scans showing a large hepatic mass; A right trisegmentectomy was performed. The first and second recurrences were treated by resection. The third recurrence was treated by hepatic transarterial chemo-embol ization, systemic chemotherapy and 19 percutaneous alcohol injections. A careful follow up by abdominal ultrasound and CT scans was able to detect the recurrence at an early stage. The patient is well at 151 mo nths. A 39 year-old man with epigastric pain, and dyspepsia had upper- GI series and abdominal CT scan, showing a left hepatic mass involving the stomach. Liver resection and Billroth II hemigastrectomy were per formed. A recurrence involving the Left hepatic lobe, the spleen and t he remaining stomach occurred 15 months later and the patient died fro m multi organ. failure. Surgery is the treatment of choice of hepatobl astoma in, adults. Recurrences can also be treated aggressively by sur gical resections if no extrahepatic organs are involved. Other therape utic modalities can be attempted whenever surgery is not possible.