Lipoblastoma: MRI appearances of a rare paediatric soft tissue tumour

Lipoblastoma is a rare, benign soft-tissue tumour derived from embryonic fat. Four patients with tumours located in the upper limb are reported, with special reference to imaging techniques and histology. Radical surgical excision is essential to prevent local recurrence and exact imaging techniques are thus crucial. MRI appears to be a reliable preoperative investigation and is the recommended radiological examination. In a child under 3 months of age, images showing a predominantly fatty but inhomogeneous soft-tissue mass are suggestive of lipoblastoma.