Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul;56(7):2164-2168.
doi: 10.1002/ppul.25385. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Conservative management of congenital bronchial atresia: The Bambino Gesù children's hospital experience

Angelo Zarfati  1 , Valerio Voglino  1 , Paolo Tomà  2 , Renato Cutrera  3 , Simone Frediani  1 , Alessandro Inserra  1
Affiliations
Review

Conservative management of congenital bronchial atresia: The Bambino Gesù children's hospital experience

Angelo Zarfati et al. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital bronchial atresia (CBA) is a rare airway malformation. No management guidelines exist because of limited evidence: treatment, surgical or conservative, is based on consensus and opinion.

Objective: To review the experience of a pediatric tertiary center and provide additional data about nonsurgical management of CBA and its outcomes after a structured follow-up, and to help formulate appropriate evidence-based guidelines.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical, radiological, surgical, and pathological data of all pediatric patients with suspicion of CBA referred to the surgical department of the Bambino Gesù children's hospital of Rome between December 2013 and 2019, along with a review of the literature.

Results: Among the 18 children initially included in the study, 2 were lost to follow-up after radiological diagnosis, 4 underwent surgery for radiological suspicion of other pulmonary malformations. The final population is composed of 12 conservatively managed patients. At the end of the follow-up (median: 29 months, range 3-61), 1 patient (8%) was symptomatic.

Conclusion: Conservative management for CBA appears to be safe. Surgery should be reserved for patients with symptomatic or complicated cases.

Keywords: congenital bronchial atresia; congenital lung malformation; congenital pulmonary airway malformation; conservative management; surgery.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Jederlinic PJ , Sicilian LS , Baigelman W , Gaensler EA . Congenital bronchial atresia: a report of 4 cases and a review of the literature. Medecine. 1986;65(6):73-83.
    1. Alamo L , Vial Y , Gengler C , Meuli R. Imaging findings of bronchial atresia in fetuses, neonates and infants. Pediatr Radiol. 2016;46(3):383-390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-015-3487-5
    1. Seear M , Townsend J , Hoepker A , et al. A review of congenital lung malformations with a simplified classification system for clinical and research use. Pediatr Surg Int. 2017;33(6):657-664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-017-4062-y
    1. Ramsay BH . Mucocele of the lung due to congenital obstruction of a segmental bronchus; a case report; relationship to congenital cystic disease of the lung and to congenital bronchiectasis. Dis Chest. 1953;24(1):96-103. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.24.1.96
    1. Simon G , Reid L. Atresia of an apical bronchus of the left upper lobe-report of three caseso Title. Br Jounal Dis chest. 1963;57(3):126-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0366-0850(63)80057-5

LinkOut - more resources