Segmental atrophy of the liver in a child: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Segmental atrophy of the liver (SAL) is a pseudotumour that is extremely rare in children. We report the case of a 4-year-old child who presented with abdominal pain and a non-tender mass at the epigastrium. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a complex lesion of the left lobe of the liver. At laparotomy, a mass arising from the caudate lobe was completely excised and the pathology report confirmed SAL. Although rare in children, paediatricians, surgeons and radiologists should consider the possibility of SAL in the differential diagnosis of hepatic masses in this group of patients.