All symptomatic patients with congenital bronchopulmonary anomalies, operated during July 1997 to July 2007 at our institute [Sir Padampat Mother and Child Health Institute (JayKayLon Hospital), S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India], were included in the study. Patients who were not operated and died before surgery were excluded. The study is based on the data available in hospital records. We collected information related to clinical presentation, diagnostic parameters, operative findings, histopathology of resected lesion, postoperative course, and final outcome. The follow-up period ranged from 1-5 months (mean: 1.8 months).
The commonest indication for surgery was chest infection and respiratory distress. Two patients with congenital lobar emphysema and one patient with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation had intercostal tubes inadvertently inserted for suspected pneumothorax before surgical referral. Imaging with x-ray chest and abdomen alone or with an additional computed tomography (CT) scan was performed in all patients. Water-soluble contrast (gastrograffin) upper GI study was done in three patients with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation to exclude congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In these patients, CT scan was not done. Preoperative ventilatory support was required in four (16%) patients with severe respiratory distress and cyanosis. All these patients were below 1 month of age. Antenatal diagnosis was available in only 2 (8%) patients with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations (CCAM).