[Indications for liver resection in childhood]

The authors give an account of indications for resection of the liver in childhood which comprise extensive injuries, cysts, vascular malformations and primary (benign and malignant) and secondary tumours. During the period between 1986 and 1993 34 major resections of the liver were performed and examined. Indications for resection were in 17 cases hepatoblastomas, 4x metastasis, 3x hepatocellular carcinoma, 2x haemangioendothelioma, adenoma, hamartoma and in one case each necrosis after injury, a cyst, cavernous haemangioma and sarcoma. The mean age of the operated children was 4 years and 5 months, the youngest patient was operated on the age of 4 days and the oldest was 17 years old. During the period between 1986 and 1989 the survival rate was 33%. During the period between 1990 and 1993 the survival rate was 86.5%. The authors emphasize the radical character of operations of malignant tumours which has a marked impact on the survival of patients with these disease.