Clinical characteristics and management of intrathoracic bronchogenic cysts: a single center experience

The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics and management of intrathoracic bronchogenic cysts.

Twenty-four (n=24) patients with intrathoracic bronchogenic cysts were treated surgically between August 1990 and December 2009 at our institution. Patients were divided into two groups by bronchogenic cyst location: mediastinal or intrapulmonary. Symptoms at diagnosis, radiologic findings, locations, surgical methods, pathological findings, and surgical outcomes were investigated retrospectively from consecutive patient medical records.

There were 12 females (50.0%). The mean age was 26.8 (range, 5 to 64) years. The mean follow-up period was 27.3 (range, 1 to 121) months. There were 15 (62.5%) mediastinal and 9 (37.5%) intrapulmonary bronchogenic cysts. Symptoms occurred in 8 patients with mediastinal bronchogenic cysts (53.3%) and 5 patients with intrapulmonary bronchogenic cysts (55.6%) (p=1.000). On computed tomography (CT), 7 patients (46.7%) showed homogenous solid masses in mediastinal bronchogenic cysts and five (55.6%) patients exhibited heterogeneous cystic masses with air-fluid levels in intrapulmonary bronchogenic cystic masses. Open thoracotomy was performed in 17 (70.8%) patients, and video-assisted thoracic surgery was performed in 7 (29.2%) patients. On pathological findings, there were 16 (66.7%) complicated cysts, and in 13 symptomatic patients, 11 (84.6%) patients had complicated cysts. There was no operative death in this study. During the follow-up period, no recurrence was detected.

Intrathoracic bronchogenic cysts have a wide variety of clinical characteristics and radiologic findings. Even though some patients do not experience symptoms and signs caused by bronchogenic cysts, serious symptoms and complications may develop with the passage of time.