CONGENITAL MALFORMATION OF THE PULMONARY AIRWAYS: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a rare disease consisting of cystic or non-cystic lesions resulting from the anomalous proliferation of structures of the tracheobronchial tree. This report describes the case of a 1-year-and-7-month-old patient who presented with recurrent pneumonia and intermittent respiratory failure. Computed tomography was performed, which revealed a CPAM pattern and infectious complications and deviation of contralateral structures. After the surgical procedure, the patient had a good clinical evolution and the histopathological examination confirmed the diagnostic hypothesis of CPAM type 2. CPAM can be classified into 5 types, which differ in histopathological and clinical characteristics. Type 2 is a lesion of bronchiolar origin characterized by the presence of multiple cysts measuring between 0.5 and 2 cm and is frequently associated with cardiovascular and renal anomalies. The manifestations of the disease mainly include a history of recurrent pneumonia. Computed Tomography is an important tool in the diagnosis of the disease, demonstrating the pattern of the cystic lesion and additional findings of infectious processes and other complications resulting from the expansion of the lesion. The treatment of CPAM is mostly surgical and mainly involves lobectomy.