Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation: impact of prenatal diagnosis and changing strategies in the treatment of the asymptomatic patient

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to assess the effect of prenatal sonographic diagnosis on the treatment of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung.

Materials and methods: The medical records of 27 patients with pathologically proven congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into four groups based on mode of presentation: with or without abnormal findings on prenatal sonography and with or without symptoms at birth. Age at diagnosis, age at surgical intervention, complications, and length of hospital stay were recorded for each group.

Results: Twenty-seven patients with 31 proven congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations were included. Eleven patients underwent prenatal sonography establishing the diagnosis (6 asymptomatic at birth, 5 symptomatic), and 16 did not have a prenatal diagnosis (10 asymptomatic at birth, 6 symptomatic). In the symptomatic populations, prenatal diagnosis had no impact on age at surgery, length of stay, or surgical complication rate (p = 0.78-0.83). In the asymptomatic population, prenatal diagnosis allowed early diagnosis (p < 0.001) and resection in the asymptomatic period. It was also associated with a shorter length of stay at the time of surgical resection (mean time, 4.2 days for patients with prenatal diagnosis versus 12.9 days for those without it;p < 0.001) and with a trend toward lower serious complication rate (3 patients without prenatal diagnosis versus 1 patient with it).

Conclusion: Prenatal sonography provides the radiologist a means to identify congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations in a population of infants who are asymptomatic at birth. Surgical intervention in the asymptomatic infant is associated with a shorter length of stay, a trend toward fewer complications, and decreased medical cost compared with intervening after symptoms develop.