Intraoperative ultrasound for liver tumor resection in children

Abstract Background Primary hepatic neoplasms in children are rare tumors. All malignant and medically refractive benign primary pediatric liver tumors ultimately require surgical resection for cure. Accurate preoperative imaging including multidetector helical computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary to determine resectability. In the literature intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) has proven to be a vital adjunct to liver surgery in adults, but this is not well established in children. Materials and methods Between April 2003 and November 2014, children (5 cm), solitary hepatic adenoma on MRI, but IOUS in this case revealed diffuse adenomatosis. The operative management was altered in three of these cases. Conclusions Although MRI can provide a detailed view of the hepatic anatomy and is an invaluable tool for preoperative planning for the pediatric patient with a primary liver neoplasm, IOUS may provide further and more up to date delineation of tumor extent and should be considered a crucial element in operative planning for hepatectomy in children.