Is a modified central bisegmentectomy a volume-saving operation for pediatric hepatoblastoma?

Central Liver Segments Resections vs Extended Hepatectomies in Children: Single-center Experience

BACKGROUND

Central liver segments resection (CLSR) still is not widely used in pediatric surgery due to its technical difficulty, whereas this procedure is widely spread as a parenchyma sparing approach of centrally located liver tumors in adults. The aim of this study is to analyze the outcomes of CLSR in comparison with extended hepatectomy (EH) in children with different liver tumors.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective analysis of patients who received CLSR (n = 14) and EH (n = 44) from June 2017 to December 2023 was applied. Patient's characteristics, preoperative, intra- and postoperative data were compared between 2 groups.

RESULTS

Preoperative CT-volumetry showed that future liver remnant volume was higher in CLSR group compared to EH (FLR-V; (54 ± 29 (40-91) % vs 40 ± 12 (17-73) %, p = 0.016). The intraoperative blood loss (200 [90-1150] (20-3000) ml vs 100 [30-275] (10-9000) ml, p = 0.088) and transfusion volume (310 [85-590] (0-1860) ml vs 150 [0-310] (0-4770) ml, p = 0.484) were similar in both groups, while operation time was longer in CLSR group (420 [320-595] (145-785) min vs 280 [203-390] (125-710) min), p = 0.011). There was no difference in biliary leakage (3 (21.4 %) vs 12 (27.3 %); p = 0.479), other complications (4 (28.6 %) vs 5 (11.4 %), p = 0.198) and complications ≥ IIIb by Clavien-Dindo (2 (14.3 %) vs 8 (18.2 %), p = 0.385) postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

CLSRs allow to preserve more healthy liver parenchyma compared to EH with similar intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. «Extended mesohepatectomy» allows to achieve R0 resection when central liver tumor extends on the left lateral and/or right posterior section.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Comparative Study (Level of Evidence III).

Central Hepatectomy in a 6-Month-Old Child with Hepatoblastoma following Chemotherapy

A hepatoblastoma in a 6-month-old child was initially considered unresectable because of diffuse liver involvement. The patient received 4 courses of cisplatin with an interval time of 2 weeks. A computed tomography scan after 4 courses of chemotherapy showed shrinking of the tumor, which made it resectable, and the tumor was removed by central hepatectomy. The patient was able to eat a regular diet on the fourth day and was sent home on the seventh day, after the operation. The pediatric oncologist followed the patient with liver ultrasonography and alpha-fetoprotein and administered 2 more cycles of cisplatin.

Outcome of central hepatectomy for hepatoblastomas

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Central hepatoblastomas (CHBL) involving liver segments (IV + V) or (IV + V + VIII) are in contact with the portal bifurcation. Their resection may be achieved by central hepatectomy (CH) with thin resection margins on both sides of the liver pedicle, by extended right or left hepatectomy with thin resection margins on one side, or by liver transplantation with thick free margins. The aim of this study is to assess the operative and postoperative outcome of CH for hepatoblastoma.

METHODS

This was a retrospective monocentric study of 9 patients who underwent CH for CHBL between 1996 and 2008.

RESULTS

The operative time was 4 hours 50 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes to 7 hours), vascular clamping lasted 30 minutes (0-90 minutes), and the amount of blood cell transfusion was 250 mL (0-1800 mL). Two patients had biliary leakage requiring percutaneous drainage. Median follow-up time was 27 months (14-120 months). All of 8 nonmetastatic patients are alive and disease-free; 1 metastatic patient died of recurrent metastases at last follow-up. Although 3 of 9 patients had surgical margins less than 1 mm, none, including the patients who died from metastases, had local recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates the feasibility of CH for CHBL without operative mortality or local recurrence. Central hepatectomy is an alternative to extensive liver resections in selected patients.

2005 PRETEXT: a revised staging system for primary malignant liver tumours of childhood developed by the SIOPEL group

Over the last 15 years, various oncology groups throughout the world have used the PRETEXT system for staging malignant primary liver tumours of childhood. This paper, written by members of the radiology and surgery committees of the International Childhood Liver Tumor Strategy Group (SIOPEL), presents various clarifications and revisions to the original PRETEXT system.