Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver--report of an unusual case.

An 8 year old girl presented with gross hepatomegaly, anaemia and pyrexia unresponsive to antibiotics. At laparotomy a cystic mass 19 cm in diameter was found arising from the liver. The cyst contained 2.4 litres of changed blood and an abscess cavity filled with thick pus was present in the cyst wall. Histological examination showed the appearances of a mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver, a rare diagnosis at this age. This case is unusual as mesenchymal hamartoma has not been previously reported presenting with pyrexia and anaemia as well as hepatomegaly.