Neonatal Hepatic Hemangioendothelioma: A Single Institute Experience

Gil, Leehuck; Yoo, Ki Young; Jung, Hyun Joo; Park, Jun Eun

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Hepatic hemagioendothelioma in neonatal period was rarely seen, so standard treatment does not established yet.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis of patients with neonatal hepatic hemangioendothelioma at Ajou University Hospital between 2001 and 2016 was performed.
RESULTS
Six patients with hepatic hemangioendothelioma in neonatal period were founded. Mean age at diagnosis was 6.1 days (range, 1-26 days). Three patients have no symptoms; diagnostic approach was prenatal ultrasonography in 2 patients, and incidental abnormal ultrasonographic findings in 1 patient, but the other 3 patients have hepatomegaly and/or congestive heart failure. Three patients were observed without treatment and the other 3 patients received medical and/or surgical treatment. Three patients of those who did not receive treatment became spontaneous regression. Of the other 3 patients, 1 patient achieved complete tumor disappearance after surgical resection, another 1 patient achieved to decrease tumor size with interferon-alpha treatment for 6 months and then had complete resolution of tumor after partial liver lobectomy, and other 1 patient who received hepatic artery embolization decreased in the size and number of lesions and then regressed gradually.
CONCLUSION
Asymptomatic patients with neonatal hepatic hemangioendothelioma could have spontaneous remission, but patients with symptoms such as hepatomegaly with congestive heart failure or thrombocytopenia needed to be applied with medical and/or surgical treatment.