Hepatoblastoma - Trisomy 2

Hepatoblastomas cells are usually diploid or hyperdiploid with cytogenetic alterations involving chromosomes 1, 2, 8, and 20. Of these, the most frequent alterations are trisomies of chromosomes 2 (shown here) and 20. In addition, loss of heterozygosity of maternal 11p15 (characteristic of Beckwith-Wiedeman patients) is seen in 1/3 of hepatoblastomas. Stabilizing beta catenin mutations may contribute to the pathogenesis of hepatoblastoma, the majority of which show abnormal nuclear localization of beta catenin by IHC. Image courtesy of Dr. Jean-Christophe Fournet, Paris, France; humpath.com; Used with permission