Lipoblastoma e lipoblastomatosi: Sette casi

Lipoblastomas are rare tumours of early infancy originating from residual embryofetal white fat. Lipoblastomas develop very rapidly without metastasis. Two different anatomopathological entities are know: well differentiated lipoblastomas, and not well differentiated lipoblastomatosis. The first is a well shaped tumour with a thin capsula, generally located in superficial tissues; the second is generally located in deep tissues and has a greater tendency to infiltrate. In 1998-99 as many as seven cases of lipoblastoma (4 well differentiated ones and 3 lipoblastomatosis) came to our observation. The babies' ages ranged from 8 months to 6 years: among the younger ones, two were 8 months old, one 14 months and another 20 months old; the three older babies where 4, 5 and 6 years old. In the older ones the symptoms began before the age of three years. Six were operated soon after diagnosis, for one, the parents refuses to have the child operated. In five cases, the conditions improved after surgery; only one, an 8-year old boy, had two relapses, 2 and 6 months later. In this patient, the first localisation was the scrotum at right upon the testis; the second lesion became evident two months later, in perineum; it was localised near the urethra and required surgical treatment. Six months later a new lesion appeared again in the groin and required a third operation. After the third operation the patient's conditions improved and no relapses occurred after two years.