Predicting for Malignancy in Congenital Lung Malformations: A Single‐Center Study of the “At Risk” Pediatric and Adult Population
4 affiliations
- 1School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
- 2Department of Pediatric Surgery, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.
- 3Pediatric Respiratory Medicine Unit, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.
- 4Northern Ireland Regional Pathology Service, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.
Abstract
Introduction
Congenital lung malformations (CLMs) are often identified on antenatal scanning and malignant transformation is cited as an indication for early resection. Long-term follow-up of asymptomatic lesions managed nonoperatively is lacking. Herein, we prospectively follow up children with antenatally identified CLMs and reviewed adult patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma to look for background CLM changes.Methods
This is a single-center cohort study of pediatric patients with antenatal or early postnatal diagnosis of CLMs and a retrospective review of adult patients with lung adenocarcinoma. In children, data collected included type or location of CLMs and subsequent follow-up. In adult patients, we reviewed radiology for background CLMs.Results
One hundred and twenty-nine pediatric patients diagnosed with CLMs: congenital pulmonary airway malformations (n = 79; 61%), bronchopulmonary sequestrations (n = 26; 20%), congenital lobar emphysema (n = 11; 9%), resolved lesions (n = 10; 8%), bronchogenic cysts (n = 2; 2%), and an unknown lesion (n = 1; 1%). The patients were followed up for 6.7 (IQR: 3.4-10.5; range 0.08-20.6) years. No pediatric patient was subsequently identified on the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Three hundred and twenty-three adult patients were diagnosed with lung carcinoma: 37 (11%) were mucinous adenocarcinomas and 21 (57%) had a KRAS mutation. No CLMs were identified on review of radiological imaging in adult patients presenting with malignancy.Conclusion
In children with CLMs, no resected malignant lesions could be identified on medium-term follow-up. Furthermore, no CLMs were identified in adult patients presenting with resected mucinous adenocarcinoma. Prospective collaborative databases are needed to determine true malignancy risk in asymptomatic CLM lesions and CPAMs.
Related
- Precision additive manufacturing for pediatric minimally invasive surgery training in congenital gastrointestinal malformations: technologies, materials, workflow, and future perspectives: a narrative review
- First trimester exposure to hydroxychloroquine during pregnancy and major congenital malformations: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Deep Intramuscular Vascular Malformations in Pediatric Klippel–Trenaunay Syndrome Mimicking Maffucci Syndrome: A Case Report
- Wearable echocardiography enables real-time perioperative monitoring in a pediatric liver transplant recipient with hepatopulmonary syndrome and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: a case report.
- 455 Second primary malignancy risk in the immunotherapy era among urothelial carcinoma survivors: a SEER population-based analysis
BibTeX
@article{rao2026predicting,
title = {{Predicting for Malignancy in Congenital Lung Malformations: A Single‐Center Study of the “At Risk” Pediatric and Adult Population}},
author = {Medha Sridhar Rao and Eamonn Bradley and Alina Haddad and Suzanne Lawther and Alistair Dick and Gary Doherty and Clinton Boyd and Micheal Shields and Mary Patrice Eastwood},
journal = {Thoracic Cancer},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/1759-7714.70410},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722533},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Predicting for Malignancy in Congenital Lung Malformations: A Single‐Center Study of the “At Risk” Pediatric and Adult Population
AU - Medha Sridhar Rao
AU - Eamonn Bradley
AU - Alina Haddad
AU - Suzanne Lawther
AU - Alistair Dick
AU - Gary Doherty
AU - Clinton Boyd
AU - Micheal Shields
AU - Mary Patrice Eastwood
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Thoracic Cancer
DO - 10.1111/1759-7714.70410
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722533
AB - Introduction Congenital lung malformations (CLMs) are often identified on antenatal scanning and malignant transformation is cited as an indication for early resection. Long-term follow-up of asymptomatic lesions managed nonoperatively is lacking. Herein, we prospectively follow up children with antenatally identified CLMs and reviewed adult patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma to look for background CLM changes.Methods This is a single-center cohort study of pediatric patients with antenatal or early postnatal diagnosis of CLMs and a retrospective review of adult patients with lung adenocarcinoma. In children, data collected included type or location of CLMs and subsequent follow-up. In adult patients, we reviewed radiology for background CLMs.Results One hundred and twenty-nine pediatric patients diagnosed with CLMs: congenital pulmonary airway malformations (n = 79; 61%), bronchopulmonary sequestrations (n = 26; 20%), congenital lobar emphysema (n = 11; 9%), resolved lesions (n = 10; 8%), bronchogenic cysts (n = 2; 2%), and an unknown lesion (n = 1; 1%). The patients were followed up for 6.7 (IQR: 3.4-10.5; range 0.08-20.6) years. No pediatric patient was subsequently identified on the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Three hundred and twenty-three adult patients were diagnosed with lung carcinoma: 37 (11%) were mucinous adenocarcinomas and 21 (57%) had a KRAS mutation. No CLMs were identified on review of radiological imaging in adult patients presenting with malignancy.Conclusion In children with CLMs, no resected malignant lesions could be identified on medium-term follow-up. Furthermore, no CLMs were identified in adult patients presenting with resected mucinous adenocarcinoma. Prospective collaborative databases are needed to determine true malignancy risk in asymptomatic CLM lesions and CPAMs.
SN - 1759-7706
SN - 1759-7714
ER -