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Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2003;14(3): 325-328. |
A Child with an Acute Abdomen due to a Ruptured Hepatoblastoma |
Hon Chol Jin, Sung Chan Oh, Seok Yong Ryu, Hong Yong Kim |
Department of Emergency Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Seoul, Korea. ryuchoi64@sanggyepaik.ac.kr |
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ABSTRACT |
A hepatoblastoma is the most common liver tumor in children between 6 months to 3 years of age. It is a rare malignancy of the liver with an incidence of 0.7 to 1 case per 1 million children under 15 years of age in Western countries.
Males are more affected. Patients usually have normal liver function test, but have high serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is a sensitive diagnostic marker. They usually present with abdominal distension or an asymptomatic abdominal mass. Rarely, patients with a hepatoblastoma show an acute abdominal emergency which is not typical for the disease process. The management of a ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma provides guidance for diagnosis and treatment of a hepatoblastoma because the incidence of hepatoblastoma is low. We report a child who presented abdominal pain and distension with the diagnosis of a ruptured hepatoblastoma. |
Key words:
Hepatoblastoma |
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