paediatric cystic lung lesions

Cystic lesions in pediatric patients are usually congenital lesions and, as such, can be seen antenatally and following delivery.

Pathology

Etiology

Congenital

These congenital lesions are predominantly covered by the overarching diagnosis of bronchopulmonary foregut malformation. This is a heterogeneous group of conditions that result from embryonic foregut maldevelopment and comprises:

• bronchogenic cysts
• bronchopulmonary sequestration
• congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
• congenital lobar overinflation (previously called congenital lobar emphysema)
• bronchial atresia
• congenital pulmonary cysts

In addition, conditions outwith this spectrum also cause cystic lung lesions:

• congenital cystic bronchiectasis

It is important to remember that there are other causes of cystic lesions on a chest x-ray, including:

• congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Acquired

Of course, even though the majority of cases are congenital, there are plenty of examples of cystic lung lesions that are acquired:

• pneumatocele: post-pneumonic (Staphylococcus spp.) or following trauma
• infective cavitation: much less common than in adults
• abscess with gas-fluid interface: if the child is supine, the gas at the top of the cavity will have the appearance of a cyst on the chest x-ray
• hydatid disease
• pulmonary interstitial emphysema: a history of neonatal mechanical ventilation or prematurity with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) will usually be present

Siehe auch:

• Bronchogene Zyste
• Lungensequester
• kongenitale pulmonale Atemwegsmalformation (CPAM)
• congenital cystic bronchiectasis
• Bronchialatresie
• kongenitales lobäres Emphysem
• congenital pulmonary cysts

und weiter:

• Lungenzysten
• multiple zystische Lungenherde
• kindliche Lungenläsionen