Diagnostic aids for benign tumors of the liver in children

Primary benign tumour of the liver in 2 children was successfully extirpated. The tumours had appeared as a palpable abdominal mass. Laboratory examinations, pulmonary X-ray and urography were in the main normal. Abdominal plain films revealed an expansive process. Ultrasonography and computerized tomography showed in one of the cases a left-sided homogeneous tumour of the liver. These non-invasive methods of investigation are easy to perform in children and give ample information. Angiography appears to be no longer necessary in the preoperative investigation. The treatment of localized benign tumours is mainly surgical. With the exception of hemangioma, the prognosis in cases of benign hepatic tumour is good.