Congenital lung abnormalities: embryologic features, prenatal diagnosis, and postnatal radiologic-pathologic...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Radiology
• Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Congenital lung abnormalities are increasingly identified during routine prenatal screening.
• Accurate antenatal diagnosis is essential for guiding clinical management.
• A spectrum of lung malformations can be detected before birth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the imaging features of common congenital lung abnormalities detected prenatally.
• To correlate antenatal findings with postnatal imaging.
• To provide a guide for clinicians managing these conditions.

Main Methods:

• Review of high-resolution prenatal ultrasonography findings.
• Discussion of characteristic imaging features for various lung anomalies.
• Correlation with postnatal imaging where available.

Main Results:

• Common anomalies include lung agenesis-hypoplasia complex, congenital pulmonary airway malformations, and bronchopulmonary sequestration.
• Other identified abnormalities include congenital lobar overinflation, bronchial atresia, bronchogenic cysts, and scimitar syndrome.
• Distinctive imaging patterns aid in differentiating these conditions prenatally.

Conclusions:

• High-resolution prenatal ultrasonography is effective in detecting a range of congenital lung abnormalities.
• Familiarity with antenatal imaging characteristics is vital for accurate diagnosis.
• Informed prenatal counseling and tailored peri- and postnatal management depend on precise identification of these anomalies.