Introduction: Bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS) is a rare congenital lung malformation, comprising only 0.15 to 6.4% of all cases of congenital lung malformation. It is characterized by an abnormal segment of bronchopulmonary tissue supplied by an aberrant systemic artery. Diagnostic delays are common in the adult patients since the symptoms often mimic other common diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema, and lung abscess. In 60% of cases, intralobar pulmonary sequestration (ILS) is typically diagnosed at age 20 or younger and is rarely found in adults older than 40 years. Since a heightened clinical suspicion needs to be maintained to entertain this diagnosis in the adult population, we conducted a retrospective chart review of all adult patients at our institution over age 50.
Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review of all adult patients evaluated at our institution with a pathological proven diagnosis of BPS and subsequent surgical correction from January 1993 through December 2008 was conducted. Data obtained included demographics, clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, location and origin of the lesion, operative therapy, histology of the surgical specimen, and postoperative complications.
Results: Three patients had undergone surgical correction for BPS. All three patients at our institution were female. The average age was 59 years with a range from 57 to 62 years. All three patients had symptoms preoperatively including intermittent cough and recurrent pneumonia. Radiologic evaluation revealed an enlarging lung mass in one patient and lesions suggestive of BPS in two of the patients. Two patients had a right lower lobe sequestration and one patient had a left lower lobe sequestration. All three patients underwent lower lobectomies without any significant postoperative complications.
Conclusion: BPS in patients older than 50 is very rare. Persistent lower lobe consolidation in medial or posterior basal segments accompanied by an aberrant artery in adults should heighten suspicion for it. Recurrent pneumonias, cough, chest pain occur in the majority of patients. Surgical excision after correctly identifying the aberrant vessel is curative and also diagnostic in some cases.