CONGENITAL CYSTIC LUNG DISEASE: PRENATAL ULTRASOUND AND POSTNATAL MULTIDETECTOR COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHY EVALUATION. CORRELATION WITH SURGICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL DATA

Purpose. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of postnatal MDCT compared with prenatal US, surgical findings, and histology, in 33 patients with Congenital Cystic Lung Disease. Methods. Thirty-three patients, 17 males and 16 females, were evaluated by MDCT. 27 of these patients underwent prenatal US between week 18 and 22, and between week 32 to 35 of gestation. Lung lobectomy, segmentectomy, atypical resection, lesion resection were performed in 31 patients and surgical specimens were analysed. Results. Prenatal US and MDCT correctly diagnosed 76.9% and 94% of the lesions, respectively. Disagreement occurred in 6 lesions with PUS, and in 2 lesions with MDCT. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two techniques (p=0.122). Conclusions. As most of surgeons consider the surgical resection of these lesions mandatory, our study underscores the essential role of imaging, in particular Computed Tomography, in providing invaluable preoperative information on Congenital Cystic Lung Diseases recognized in uterus. Powered