Is congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation a premalignant lesion for pleuropulmonary blastoma?
GROUND: The relationship between congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) and pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), whether causal, correlational, or coincidental, remains controversial. There is a lack of consensus as to the optimal treatment of patients with asymptomatic CCAM. METHOD: We reviewed all cases of CCAM and PPB seen at our institution from 1999 to 2008. Institutional Research Ethics Board approval was obtained. The incidence of CCAM and PPB, respectively, was calculated based on birth numbers during the study period. RESULTS: Seventy-four CCAMs were resected over the study period in 129 children diagnosed with CCAM. Five PPBs were diagnosed during the study period. Three of the 5 PPB cases were initially diagnosed as CCAMs. These PPBs were not clinically or radiologically distinguishable from CCAMs. In our referral area, the incidence of CCAM was 1 in 12,000; and the incidence of PPB was 1 in 250,000 live births. The mortality rate for PPB in this cohort was 20%. CONCLU