Pulmonary chondroid hamartoma presenting as an inflatable neck mass. Case report and clinicopathologic analysis

Pulmonary hamartomas most often present as solitary coin lesions of the lung. Less frequently, they can present as cystic lesions in the pulmonary parenchyma. We describe a case of a cystic pulmonary hamartoma presenting as an inflatable neck mass. The lesion was successfully treated by surgical excision using a stated transcervical and thoracotomy approach. The differential diagnosis of inflatable cervical masses is outlined along with a discussion of the pathogenesis and treatment of hamartomas. A clinical technique that is helpful in localizing the source of inflatable cervical masses is described for use when radiologic examinations are not specific in locating the source of the lesion.