COMBINED CYSTIC TERATOMA AND HEPATOBLASTOMA OF THE LIVER - PROBABLE DIVERGENT DIFFERENTIATION OF AN UNCOMMITTED HEPATIC PRECURSOR CELL

Background. Hepatic cystic teratoma is an extremely rare tumor and hep atoblastoma a relatively rare tumor of childhood. Their occurrence as a combined tumor has not been previously reported. Methods. The releva nt clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings are presented. Result s. A 17-month-old boy presented with an abdominal mass. Imaging studie s suggested an intrahepatic teratoma, but serum alpha-fetoprotein leve ls were extremely elevated. The resected tumor comprised adjoining ben ign cystic teratoma and epithelial hepatoblastoma. The child remains a live and well 37 months after complete resection of the tumor. Conclus ions. The tumor was considered most likely to originate from divergent differentiation of a single uncommitted liver precursor cell.