Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Malignant Pediatric Abdominal Tumour with Histopathological Correlation

Ultrasonography is a very useful diagnostic tool to evaluate pediatric abdominal mass. This cross sectional study was conducted among clinically suspected patients having malignant abdominal mass attending in the department of Radiology & Imaging, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from January 2008 to December 2009. Total 56 patients were included in this study. Patients were scanned by high resolution gray scale ultrasonography of the abdominal masses. After surgical procedure, biopsy specimen were collected in a container containing 10% formalin and sent for histopathological examination. Mean age of the patients group was 5.91 years with a standard deviation of ±3.21 years. All patients were within 2 to 13 years age. Out of all patients, male were 33(58.9%) and 23(41.1%) were female. Male and female ratio was 1.4:1. Ultrasonographic diagnosis as Wilm's tumour were 27(48.2%), hepatoblastoma 8(14.3%), lymphoma 7(12.5%), neuroblastoma 6(10.7%), suspected malignancy 6(10.7%) and lastly teratoma were 2(3.6%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of ultrasonography in the evaluation of Wilm's tumour were 100.0%, 90.6%, 88.9%, 100.0% and 94.6% for neuroblastoma 83.3%, 98.0%, 83.3%, 98.0% and 96.4% for lymphoma 83.3%, 96.0%, 71.4%, 98.0% and 94.6% and for hepatoblastoma 100.0%, 100.0%, 100.0%, 100.0% and 100.0% respectively. It is a noninvasive and cost effective modality. Carefully performed ultrasonographic study would give reliable and accurate information needed in the diagnosis of abdominal malignancy in children.