Pulmonary nodules in a newborn with ATP-binding cassette transporter A3 (ABCA3) mutations

Abstract

Mutations in the gene for adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A3 (ABCA3) have been reported in infants and children with fatal surfactant deficiency and interstitial lung disease. Previously reported radiographic lung findings include ground-glass opacification, streaky infiltrates, and interstitial septal thickening. We report here the unusual case of a newborn who rapidly developed large rounded masses in the lung soon after birth that then resolved spontaneously by 3 months of age. She was found to be a compound heterozygote for both a known and a novel mutation in the ABCA3 gene. This report underscores the diverse clinical presentation of this condition.