Primary Carcinoma of the Liver in Infancy and Childhood

Primary carcinoma of the liver in infancy and childhood has been the subject of numerous reports.1-13A survey of the literature reveals a total of 139 cases of primary carcinoma of the liver, the patients ranging in age from 1 day to 16 years. The primary tumors which do occur are commonly malignant and rapidly fatal. Edmondson,1in a review of the differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors in infancy and childhood, reported that carcinomas of the liver are the commonest carcinomas of infancy and stated that boys less than 2 years of age are most frequently affected. Steiner2reviewed the literature and reported 75 cases, with ages ranging up to 16 years. Of the patients, 53.2% were under 2 years of age. One of these cases was noted to have coincidental cirrhosis of the liver. The report of Bigelow and Wright3contains 95 instances (including 74