We report the third known case of mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver (MHL) with a balanced translocation involving a common breakpoint, 19q13.4. A common clonal chromosome abnormality appears to characterize an important subset of MHL, some of which may be low-grade neoplasms. We found no consistent karyotype abnormality in a post-treatment sample of embryonal sarcoma of the liver (ESL). Reports of coexistent MHL and ESL in two patients and detection of 19q abnormalities in two ESLs appear to support Stocker's hypothesis of a histogenetic link between these two rare liver lesions. More data are needed to clarify this relationship. It is possible that MHLs are etiologically heterogenous and may be developmental disorders, disruptions, or neoplasms.
EdmondsonHA. Tumors of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts. In: Atlas of Tumor Pathology Section VII, Fascicle No. 25, Washington D.C.: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1958.
2.
LackEE. Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver. A clinical and pathologic study of nine cases. Am J Pediatr Hematol Oncol1986;8:91–98.
3.
AoyamaC, HachitandaY, SatoJK, SaidJW, ShimadaH.Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver. A tumor of uncertain histogenesis showing divergent differentiation. Am J Surg Pathol1991;15:615–624.
4.
StockerJT, IshakKG. Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver. Report of 31 cases. Cancer1978;42:336–348.
5.
GallivanMVE, LackEE, ChunB, IshakKG. Undifferentiated (“embryonal”) sarcoma of the liver: ultrastructure of a case presenting as a primary intracardiac tumor. Pediatr Pathol1983;1:291–300.
6.
FinegoldM.Pathology of Neoplasia in Children and Adolescents. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1986.
7.
ChouP, MangkornkanokM, Gonzalez-CrussiF.Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver: ultrastructure, immunohistochemistry, and DNA ploidy analysis of two cases. Pediatr Pathol1990;10:549–562.
8.
de ChadarevianJP, PawelBR, FaerberEN, WeintraubWH. Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma arising in conjunction with mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver. Mod Pathol1994;7:490–493.
9.
LauwersGY, GrantLD, DonnellyWH, Hepatic undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma arising in a mesenchymal hamartoma. Am J Surg Pathol1997;21:1248–1254.
10.
SpelemanF, DeTelderV, DePotterKR, Cytogenetic analysis of a mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver. Cancer Genet Cytogenet1989;40:29–32.
11.
MascarelloJT, KrousHF. Second report of a translocation involving 19q13.4 in a mesenchymal hamartoma in liver. Cancer Genet Cytogenet1992;58:141–142.
12.
Wang-WuuS, SoukupS, BallardET, GotwalsB, LampkinB.Chromosomal analysis of sixteen human rhabdomyosarcomas. Cancer Res1988;48:983–987.
13.
Wang-WuuS, SoukupS, BoveKE, GotwalsB, LampkinB.Chromosome analysis of 31 Wilms' tumors. Cancer Res1990;50:2786–2793.
14.
OtalTM, HendricksJB, PharisP, DonnellyWH. Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver. DNA flow cytometric analysis of eight cases. Cancer1994;74:1237–1242.
15.
SawyerJR, RolosonGJ, BettJM, ThomasJR, TeoC, ChadduckWM. Telomeric associations in the progression of chromosome aberrations in pediatric solid tumors. Cancer Genet Cytogenet1996;90:1–13.
16.
MorhenweiserH, JohnsonK.Chromosome 19 Committee Report. Human Gene Mapping 1995 Compendium. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995;1010.
17.
WillisRA. The Borderland of Embryology and Pathology. London: Butterworths, 1958;341.
18.
HeimS, MitelmanF.Cancer Cytogenetics. 2nd ed. New York: Alan R. Liss, 1995;480–485, 325, 326, 395, 396, 314.
19.
SandbergAA. The Chromosomes in Human Cancer and Leukemia. 2nd ed. New York: Elsevier Science, 1990;781, 753.
20.
TeyssierJR, FerreD.Frequent clonal chromosomal changes in human non-malignant tumors. Int J Cancer1989;44:828–832.
21.
WarkanyJ.Congenital Malformations. Notes and Comments. Chicago: Yearbook Medical Publishers, 1971;1251.
22.
LenningtonWJ, GrayGFJr, PageDL. Mesenchymal hamartoma of liver: a regional ischemic lesion of a sequestered lobe. Am J Dis Child1993;147:193–196.
