European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Vol 4, 15-18, Copyright © 1990 by European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Pulmonary hamartoma. A clinical study of 77 cases in a 21-year period and review of literature
US Salminen
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
Seventy-seven pulmonary hamartomas were operated upon during a 21-year
period (1966-1986); 43 (55.8%) patients were male and 34 (44.2%), female.
Thoracotomy was carried out: in all 53 enucleations, 18 wedge resections, 5
lobectomies, and 1 apico-basal segmentectomy were performed. The size of
the tumours varied in diameter between 1 cm and 8 cm (mean 2.27 cm) and 23
(29.9%) of patients had previous, concomitant or subsequent pulmonary or
pleural disease. Operative mortality was nil. There were 19 postoperative
complications in 18 patients. All 77 patients were called for a follow-up
examination 6 months to 20 years after operation (mean 8.1 years). Eleven
had died, 15 answered with a letter and 39 came to control examination.
Thirteen patients did not respond to the questionnaire but were still alive
according to the national statistics. One patient developed postoperative
lung cancer of which he died 8 years after operation. The others are doing
well. Although benign in nature, the only therapy for primary hamartoma is
operative removal of the tumour.
