An ultrastructural study of mixed hepatoblastoma with osteoid elements

A case of mixed hepatoblastoma with osteoid elements was studied by light and electron microscopy. The ultrastructure of the epithelial elements showed a lack of differentiation and simple cytoplasmic organelles. However, an occasional cytoplasmic crystalloid structure were seen. The ultrastructure of the osteoid foci showed fibroblast-like cells capable of collagen formation, clearly distinguishable from the epithelial elements. These cells had neoplastic characteristics of nuclear pleomorphism and high nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio. These findings support the belief that hepatoblastoma arises from a multipotential blastema capable of both epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation, with the osteoid elements being an intrinsic neoplastic component of the tumor.