CYSTIC PULMONARY HAMARTOMA MANIFESTING AS SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX

Cystic hamartoma refers to rare benign lung tumors. The literature describes 17 cases of this disease. The tumor may look like multiple bilateral cysts or a solitary single-chamber or multi-chamber cyst of a large size, which makes it difficult to diagnose. The disease can be complicated by spontaneous pneumothorax. The cyst itself often looks like a pneumothorax. An observation of a 52-year-old man complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath is presents. On the x-ray, the left lung is compressed with air, which is regarded as a spontaneous pneumothorax. Two-day drainage did not give any results. The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery technique was performed and a large air cyst was detected. A conversion to a thoracotomy was made. A cyst of 20×15 cm size originated from the lower lobe, the lung was in atelectasis. Cyst resection and lung decortication were performed. Histological examination of the cyst wall revealed a hamartoma of the lung. The postoperative period was uneventful. Differential diagnosis of cystic hamartoma is conducting with lymphangioleiomyomatosis, air cysts, extrapulmonary sequestration, echinococcal cysts, and lung cancer. Indications for surgery are the following: chest pain, shortness of breath, pneumothorax, and hemoptysis. In a unilateral process, a cyst resection or lobectomy have to be performed. Cystic pulmonary hamartoma should be included in the differential diagnostic range in patients with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, hemoptysis, single and multiple lung cysts. It is impossible to determine the diagnosis without a biopsy and histological examination.