Congenital lung malformations

Abstract

This chapter discusses the major pearls and tricks in the diagnosis and management of congenital lung lesions, which include congenital pulmonary airway malformations, bronchogenic cysts, bronchopulmonary sequestrations, and congenital lobar emphysema. Collectively, congenital lung malformations can be uniquely challenging for pediatric surgeons in part because they are rarely encountered in most clinical practices and often require multi-disciplinary expertise, including maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, and pediatric radiologists. Moreover, lung lesions can have highly variable clinical presentations and unclear natural histories. The current standard of care for the most common clinical scenarios is discussed, and specific areas of controversy are highlighted.