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Infantile Abdominal and Pelvic Lipoblastomas: A Case Series
Riccardo Guanà1, Salvatore Garofalo2, Luisa Ferrero2
1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Insights
Lipoblastomas, rare pediatric tumors of embryonal fat cells, can occur in unusual locations. This study highlights three infant cases with intra-abdominal, pelvic, and gluteal tumors, emphasizing diagnostic and surgical considerations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Lipoblastomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors originating from embryonal fat cells.
- Typically diagnosed in infants and young children (<3 years), common sites include trunk and extremities.
- Head and neck lipoblastomas are exceptionally rare, with only five prior cases documented.
Observation:
- Presents three pediatric cases of lipoblastomas with uncommon presentations.
- Case 1: Intra-abdominal lipoblastoma discovered during surgery for intussusception.
- Case 2: Pelvic lipoblastoma initially misdiagnosed as an ovarian mass.
- Case 3: Gluteal lipoblastoma with pelvic extension.
Findings:
- All three patients were under 4 years old and presented with unusual tumor localizations.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was utilized for preoperative assessment in all cases.
- Complete surgical resection with clear margins was achieved for all lipoblastomas.
- Postoperative ultrasonographic follow-up showed no adverse events in any patient.
Implications:
- Highlights the importance of considering lipoblastomas in infants presenting with intra-abdominal, pelvic, or gluteal masses.
- Underscores the utility of advanced imaging like MRI in diagnosing these rare pediatric tumors.
- Demonstrates successful surgical management and favorable outcomes for lipoblastomas in unusual locations.
Abstract:
Lipoblastomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors that arise from embryonal fat cells. They are usually discovered in infants and children under 3 years of age, and mostly occur in the trunk (from 10 to 60%, depending on the study) and extremities (from 40 to 45%), while head and neck localizations are rare, with only five cases described to date. We report on three cases of lipoblastomas in infants younger than 4 years, with unusual localizations: one intra-abdominal, discovered during a laparotomy for an intussusception; one pelvic, misdiagnosed as an ovarian mass; and one gluteal with a pelvic extension. All children underwent magnetic resonance imaging as preoperative workup. All tumors were completely resected with free surgical margins and ultrasonographic follow-up was uneventful for all patients.