Mc. Cohen et al., Solitary unilocular cyst of the lung with features of persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema: Report of four cases, PEDIATR D P, 2(6), 1999, pp. 531-536
Neonatal interstitial pulmonary emphysema (IPE) is a well-characterized les
ion usually presenting in preterm newborns as a complication of respiratory
distress syndrome and/or assisted ventilation. Occasionally, IPE may occur
spontaneously in infants with no underlying pulmonary disease. Persistence
of IPE (PIPE) may be diffuse or localized. Localized PIPE usually presents
as multiple cysts 0.3 to 3 cm in one or more lobes of the lung. In this re
port, we describe four cases of unilocular large cysts (up to 5 cm in diame
ter) partially lined by uni- and multinucleated histiocytes in a foreign bo
dy type reaction and showing gas dissection of the surrounding parenchyma (
present in case 1). These histological features favored the diagnosis of PI
PE and the cases were interpreted as such, since no other clear-cut diagnos
is could be defined. However, because the lesion was limited to one lobe, a
nd the children were full term, asymptomatic at birth and without history o
f respiratory distress or assisted ventilation, differential diagnosis with
other pulmonary cystic lesions of infancy is mandated.