[Therapeutic approach to bilateral hepatoblastoma]

The treatment of a case of bilateral hepatoblastoma by continuous infusion of adriamycin in the hepatic artery accompanied by ligature of the right hepatic artery enabled the authors to carry out six weeks later an extensive right lobe hepatectomy. Unfortunately the patient died seven weeks after the partial hepatectomy from complication of surgery. Thus it was possible to demonstrate the effectiveness of the intra arterial chemotherapy. No residual tumor could be found at autopsy. As in the case with the adult, arterial ligature combined with carefully targeted chemotherapy would seem to be potentially important therapeutic option in the treatment of malignant liver tumors in children.