Congenital Pulmonary Malformation–Management and Long‐Term Outcomes of a Danish Cohort

BACKGROUND: The incidence of prenatally diagnosed Congenital Pulmonary Malformations (CPMs) has increased over the decades probably due to better diagnostic sensitivity. Postnatal resection of the symptomatic lesions is recommended, but the management and treatment of the asymptomatic children remains controversial. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the management, treatment and long-term outcomes in a Danish cohort including cases with a pre- and/or postnatal diagnosis of CPM. METHODS: Forty-seven cases with CPM diagnosed between 2000 and 2016 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and/or the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH) were included. This register-based cohort study combines pre- and postnatal data from the local fetal medicine database, the hospital medical register and medical records to describe the diagnosis, management and treatment of children diagnosed with CPM in a Danish cohort. RESULTS: The study found that approximately half of the prenatally diagnosed cases and 73% of the postnatally diagnosed cases with CPM underwent surgical removal of the lung lesion. In most cases, the lesions were surgically removed due to development of respiratory symptoms before the age of 1 year. Conservatively managed children with CPM were followed with a median follow-up time of approximately 4.6 years. All were asymptomatic at the last visit to Childrens center of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology with no evidence of impaired physical growth and wellbeing.