Shahid M, Hilal K, Khan M, Ejaz ZH, Altaf S, Islam S, Khandwala K. Imaging insights into pediatric liver masses: A comprehensive minireview for hepatology practice. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(8): 107041 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i8.107041]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Kumail Khandwala, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan. kumail.khandwala@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mina'a Shahid, Kiran Hilal, Memoona Khan, Kumail Khandwala, Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Zainab Haider Ejaz, Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Sadaf Altaf, Department of Oncology, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Saleem Islam, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Co-first authors: Mina'a Shahid and Kiran Hilal.
Author contributions: Shahid M and Hilal K conceived the idea of the paper and performed the data collection as the co-first authors of the paper; Shahid M, Hilal K, Khan M, and Khandwala K performed the literature minireview, wrote the initial manuscript, and prepared images and tables; Ejaz ZH helped with the literature minireview, writing and formatting; Altaf S and Islam S helped with the data analysis and critical minireview; Khandwala K was involved with the study design, data interpretation and writing; all the authors contributed to the approval of the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kumail Khandwala, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan. kumail.khandwala@gmail.com
Received: March 20, 2025 Revised: May 8, 2025 Accepted: July 9, 2025 Published online: August 27, 2025 Processing time: 161 Days and 3.9 Hours
Abstract
Pediatric liver masses encompass a diverse spectrum of benign and malignant lesions, with distinct patterns based on patient age. Optimal imaging is critical for timely diagnosis, management, and prognosis. This pictorial minireview categorizes pediatric liver masses by age group to guide hepatology and radiology practice, with an emphasis on imaging characteristics. In children from birth to six years of age, the most common liver masses include hepatoblastoma, the most common primary hepatic malignancy in this age group; infantile hemangioma, a benign vascular tumor with a characteristic appearance on imaging; and mesenchymal hamartoma, a rare developmental lesion. For children older than six years, liver masses are distinct, with hepatocellular carcinoma being the predominant malignant lesion. Benign masses such as focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma also emerge in this age range, often linked to hormonal influences or metabolic disorders. The masses observed across all pediatric age groups include hepatic cysts, choledochal cysts, hydatid cysts, pyogenic and amebic abscesses, tuberculosis, lymphoma, and metastases, each presenting with unique imaging features essential for differential diagnosis. This minireview provides a comprehensive, age-based overview of pediatric liver masses, focusing on clinical presentation and key imaging findings to support accurate diagnosis and optimize management strategies in clinical hepatology, particularly in low resource settings.
Core Tip: Pediatric liver masses are diverse, with distinct patterns based on age. This minireview categorizes benign and malignant hepatic lesions by age group, emphasizing imaging characteristics for accurate diagnosis and management. Key findings include the prominence of hepatoblastoma in infants, hepatocellular carcinoma in older children, and various benign lesions such as focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma. Advanced imaging techniques, including ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, play a crucial role in identifying and staging these masses, helping clinicians tailor effective management strategies in pediatric hepatology, particularly in lower-middle income countries.
