Primary liver tumors are uncommon in childhood, with a relative frequency of 3 % of all childhood tumors. Seventy-three cases of pediatric primary liver tumors operated on at single institution between 1986 and 2002 were reviewed. Malignant tumors included 37 cases of hepatoblastoma, 11 hepatocellular carcinomas, 6 undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcomas, and 1 mixed germ-cell tumor. Benign tumors constitute only 24.6 % of liver tumors, including 7 hemangioendotheliomas, 5 mesenchymal hamartomas, 3 congenital cysts, and one each with focal nodular hyperplasia and hemangioma. The common presenting clinical features were abdominal mass or abdominal distension. Anatomical hepatic resections were carried out in 38 cases, and nonanatomical resections in 34 cases. One patient died of a direct result of hepatic resection (1.4 %). The complication rate was 16.4 %.