HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Ganesh Shanmugam Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shanmugam, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shanmugam, G. Related Collections Lung - other

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2005;28:483-489
© 2005 Elsevier Science NL

Review

Adult congenital lung disease

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Dalnair Street, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK

Received 2 April 2005; received in revised form 8 May 2005; accepted 9 May 2005.

^* Tel.: +44 141 201 0264. (Email: sgunpat{at}hotmail.com).

Congenital lung anomalies are increasingly diagnosed in adults, because they are missed in childhood, or as a consequence of incomplete resections at a younger age. They have unique manifestations, often mimic other thoracic pathology, and can present acutely and necessitate emergent evaluation and management. Misdiagnosis is common. This article deals with the patterns of presentation, clinical and radiological diagnosis, and the management of these disorders in adults. The lesions analysed include congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation, sequestration, congenital lobar emphysema and bronchogenic cysts. It is important to include these malformations in the differential diagnosis of adult thoracic pathology and to understand the modes of presentation, potential complications and management strategies. The radiological diagnosis is reliably made by computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. The potential for malignancy in these lesions is an important consideration. The management of asymptomatic lesions was considered controversial, but more lesions are now resected early, in recognition of the potential for subsequent complications. Complete resection is recommended. In contradistinction to childhood malformations, these lesions are more amenable to thoracoscopic resections, provided they are completely benign. Congenital lung malformations call for well-organized cooperation between paediatric and adult pulmonologists to ensure a smooth medical transition from childhood to adulthood.

Key Words: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation • Bronchogenic cyst • Sequestration • Congenital lobar emphysema • Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery