Ultrasound examinations were done to evaluate clinically palpable abdominal masses in 125 children. The examinations were normal in 21 patients. In 15 patients, the clinically palpable masses were actually anterior abdominal wall abscesses or hematomas. Final diagnosis was available in 87 of 89 patients with intraabdominal masses detected on ultrasound. The majority (71%) were retroperitoneal masses where two-thirds were of renal origin. Ultrasound diagnosis was correct in 68 patients (78%). All cases of hydronephrosis were correctly diagnosed based on characteristic ultrasound appearances. Correct diagnoses of all cases of adrenal hematoma, psoas abscess, liver hematoma, liver abscess and one case of liver metastases were achieved with correlation of relevant clinical information.
A 15-year-old girl, who was previously well, complained of a mass in the abdomen after a minor motor vehicle accident. Physical and radiological investigations revealed a mass in the body of pancreas containing proteinaceous material and multiple nodules in both lobes of liver. Serological investigations for malignancy were normal. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed pancreatoblastoma. Pancreatoblastoma is an unusual malignant tumour seen in infants and children although rare cases have also been reported in adults. They are clinicopathologically distinct from adult pancreatic ductal carcinoma. The histogenesis, clinical features and treatment options are discussed along with presentation of the case.