Type III pleuropulmonary blastoma in a 7-month-old female baby with impending respiratory failure: a case report

Journal of Medical Case Reports

Mario La Rosa¹  Giovanni A Rossi²  Gaetano Magro³  Enrico Potenza⁴  Andrea Di Cataldo¹  Salvatore Leonardi¹  Chiara Franzonello¹  Agnese Castro¹ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy;Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy Unit, Institute of Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy;Section of Anatomic Pathology, Department G.F. Ingrassia, University of Catania, Catania, Italy;Operating Unit of Thoracic Surgery, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Catania, Italy

关键词: Thoracic CT scan;    Respiratory failure;    Pediatric tumors;   

Others  :  1181114
DOI  :  10.1186/1752-1947-8-221

 received in 2013-12-29, accepted in 2014-04-07,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Introduction

Pleuropulmonary blastoma is a very rare, aggressive, embryonal pulmonary neoplasm which mostly affects children under the age of 5. According to the histopathological features, three subtypes of pleuropulmonary blastoma have been recognized: type I (purely cystic), type II (grossly visible cystic and solid elements) and type III (purely solid). Characteristics of type I and type II blastoma allow an earlier diagnosis compared with type III. Here we present a case report of an unusual presentation of type III pleuropulmonary blastoma.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a 7-month-old female baby of Italian mother and Kurdish father who was diagnosed with type III pleuropulmonary blastoma, which entirely occupied her right hemithorax.

Conclusions

The reported case is an unusual presentation because type III pleuropulmonary blastoma typically occurs in older children. The complete re-expansion of her residual, previously totally compressed, right lung observed immediately after the resection of the lesion suggests an atypical rapid growth of this embryonal tumor in the late phase of gestation or after delivery. This case report suggests that, in addition to other childhood tumors, type III pleuropulmonary blastoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of solid nonhomogeneous thoracic large masses, compressing the mediastinal and chest wall structures in infants. This is an original case report of interest for several specialities such us pediatrics, radiology, surgery and oncology.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Castro et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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