Successful surgical management of symptomatic antenatally diagnosed congenital pulmonary airway malformation: A case report

Background: Congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAM) are rare developmental malformations of the lung with a prevalence of only 0.81/10,000. The exact cellular mechanisms are not fully understood yet. CPAM is often diagnosed on prenatal ultrasound (90% sensitivity and 77% specificity), around the second gestational trimester. Case presentation: A 30-year-old female had a routine ultrasound in the 13th gestational week which revealed cystic changes in the fetal left lung, along with mild polyhydramnios. This was monitored for the term of the pregnancy which ended with cesarean delivery at 39th week. The delivered baby had respiratory distress, needed an incubator for 24 hours, and underwent an open left lower lobectomy before being discharged home without any complications on follow-up. Discussion and Conclusion: Routine obstetric ultrasound is important in detecting CPAM and should be followed up routinely throughout the pregnancy. Management of CPAM is debatable and varies from conservative to invasive approaches. This case report emphasizes the significance of early prenatal diagnosis and timely surgical treatment, especially in resource-limited settings, in improving patient outcomes, while also contributing to a better understanding of this rare congenital condition.