Hemihypertrophy

Hemihypertrophy, now more commonly referred to as Hemihyperplasia in the medical literature, is a condition in which one side of the body or a part of one side of the body is larger than the other to an extent considered greater than the normal variation. As it is difficult to establish a set clinical criteria for diagnosis of Hemihypertrophy/Hemihyperplasia, the dictum is often used that the clinician should be able to see the asymmetry "from the end of the bed." Hemihypertrophy/Hemihyperplasia is a congenital overgrowth disorder and the asymmetry can range from mild to severe. It is important to establish a diagnosis because Hemihyperplasia is associated with an increased risk for embryonal tumors, mainly Wilms tumor and hepatoblastoma. Due to the heightened tumor risk, there is a tumor screening protocol that is recommended for all children with Isolated Hemihyperplasia and Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome. Some of the other syndromes associated with Hemihypertrophy/Hemihyperplasia may also follow this tumor surveillance protocol. The recommended tumor surveillance protocol is: