Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2021 Mar;49(3):300060520981362.
doi: 10.1177/0300060520981362.

Lipoblastomas and liposarcomas in paediatric patients: A case series

Joyce J L H McRae  1 , Asra Hashmi  1   2 , Andrei Radulescu  1   3 , Cody S Carter  1   3 , Faraz A Khan  1   3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Lipoblastomas and liposarcomas in paediatric patients: A case series

Joyce J L H McRae et al. J Int Med Res. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Lipoblastomas and liposarcomas are rare causes of soft tissue masses in paediatric patients. In this retrospective clinical case series we identified 11 patients from our paediatric database (10 with a lipoblastoma and one with a liposarcoma) who had attended our hospital between 1998 and 2019. The median age of patients with lipoblastoma was 29 months. All lipoblastoma cases were managed with surgical excision and histological examination. The 18-year old patient with liposarcoma presented with a metastatic and unresectable tumour that was unresponsive to chemotherapy and radiation. Our experience demonstrates the importance of differentiating the type of soft tissue mass in children.

Keywords: lipoblastoma; liposarcoma; paediatric.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Cut surface of a gross specimen from Case 7 showing a pale tan surface.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Histologically, the lipoblastomas demonstrated predominantly myxoid stroma containing a rich capillary network, features which may lead to diagnostic confusion with myxoid liposarcoma (Case 7). Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, 100x magnification.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Histologically, the lipoblastomas demonstrated predominantly myxoid stroma containing a rich capillary network, features which may lead to diagnostic confusion with myxoid liposarcoma (Case 7). Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, 100x magnification.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Characteristic blue grey myxoid stroma of lipoblastoma, surrounding adipocytes and occasional lipoblasts with smaller lipid vacuoles. The central lobule is flanked by fibrous septae on the sides (Case 10). Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, 200x magnification
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
An example of a high-power view shows an admixture of delicate, branching capillaries, bi-vacuolated lipoblasts, and mature adipocytes (Case 9). Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, 400x magnification.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
A computed tomography (CT) scan of the Abdomen and Pelvis with Contrast (Case 7). The yellow arrow is pointing to a large heterogenous and lobulated intraperitoneal mass with mixed fatty and solid components. There is no evidence of vascular invasion, visceral origination or bowel communication.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Pelvis with Contrast (Case 10). The T2 axial image shows a heterogenous soft tissue mass (yellow arrow) within the subcutaneous fat overlying the posterior lateral aspect of the right iliac wing. There is no muscular invasion or periosteal reaction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

  • A case of lipoblastoma in a pediatric patient.
    Fitrah A, Indriani RV, Hernowo RPA, Nugraha HG, Irawan MNSB, Dewayani BM. Fitrah A, et al. Radiol Case Rep. 2024 Jun 22;19(9):3833-3839. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.05.054. eCollection 2024 Sep. Radiol Case Rep. 2024. PMID: 39021668 Free PMC article.
  • Lipoblastoma of the foot in a pediatric patient: A case report.
    Beyyato S, Mouhcine Y, Ouazzani H, Chaouche I, Akammar A, Bouardi NE, Haloua M, Alami B, Lamrani MYA, Maaroufi M, Boubbou M. Beyyato S, et al. Radiol Case Rep. 2025 Jun 26;20(9):4639-4643. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2025.06.004. eCollection 2025 Sep. Radiol Case Rep. 2025. PMID: 40677861 Free PMC article.

References

    1. Coffin CM. Lipoblastoma: an embryonal tumor of soft tissue related to organogenesis. Semin Diagn Pathol 1994; 11: 98–103. - PubMed
    1. Putra J, Al-Ibraheemi A. Adipocytic tumors in Children: A contemporary review. Semin Diagn Pathol 2019; 36: 95–104. - PubMed
    1. Crago AM, Dickson MA. Liposarcoma: Multimodality Management and Future Targeted Therapies. Surg Oncol Clin N Am 2016; 25: 761–773. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shen LY, Amin SM, Chamlin SL, et al.. Varied Presentations of Pediatric Lipoblastoma: Case Series and Review of the Literature. Pediatr Dermatol 2017; 34: 180–186. - PubMed
    1. Susam-Sen H, Yalcin B, Kutluk T, et al.. Lipoblastoma in children: Review of 12 cases. Pediatr Int 2017; 59: 545–550. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources