Bronchogenic cyst: best time for surgery?

Bronchogenic cyst (BC) is a benign congenital mediastinal tumor whose natural course remains unclear. In adults, most BCs are removed by thoracotomy after complications. Currently, prenatal diagnosis is generally feasible and allows an early thoracoscopic intervention. The purpose of this retrospective study was to ascertain the best time for the operation.

Reviewed were 36 patients (11 children, 25 adults) with a BC managed from 2000 to 2011. Clinical history, cyst size, duration of hospitalization, preoperative and postoperative complications, and detection of inflammatory elements were compared (Student t tests) between pediatric and adult patients.

In the pediatric group, diagnosis was made prenatally in 7 patients, during the neonatal period in 2, and later in 2. Nine were asymptomatic. In the adult group, 20 patients were treated for complications. Thoracotomy was performed in 2 children and thoracoscopy in 9 (no conversion). A thoracoscopic operation was performed in 9 adults (2 conversions), and 17 adults required additional procedures (4 pericardial and 9 lung resections, 3 bronchial, and 1 esophageal sutures). The average length of hospitalization was 4.45 days for children (3.33 days in the thoracoscopic subgroup) and 8 days for adults. Mean maximal cyst diameter was 2.2 cm in children and 6.5 cm in adults (p < 0.10). Pathologic study revealed inflammatory reaction in 2 children (18%) vs 21 adults (84%; p < 0.001).

Early surgical resection of BCs provides better conservation of pulmonary parenchyma, a lower incidence of inflammatory lesions, and a reduced rate of complications, and should be proposed after prenatal diagnosis, between the 6th and 12th month of life.