Lipoblastoma in infancy and childhood.

Lipoblastoma is a rare benign neoplasm of fetal-embryonal fat tissue with a 14% tendency to recur. It occurs almost exclusively in infants and children. To my knowledge, less than 100 cases, including children and adults, have been reported in the English literature. Two retroperitoneal and one case of mesenteric lipoblastoma, all presenting as a large palpable abdominal mass, are described. Our patients, aged 12 years, 7 months, and 11 months, were treated by total surgical excision of the tumors. They are alive and well 5, 4, and 3 years postoperative, respectively, with no evidence of recurrence and no indication for any adjunctive therapy. Pathologic evaluation was decisive for the best treatment and prognosis.