Congenital bronchopulmonary diseases in adults: CT findings

Congenital lung disease is divided into two types: lesions that arise from the primitive foregut (i.e., bronchopulmonary malformations) and lesions that originate in the pulmonary vasculature. The latter often are detected early in life because of signs and symptoms or other serious associated anomalies. Conversely, many of the bronchopulmonary anomalies are asymptomatic and therefore are not discerned until adulthood. This essay illustrates the spectrum of CT findings of many congenital bronchopulmonary malformations that are seen in adults, including pulmonary agenesis, anomalous bronchial branching, bronchial atresia, foregut cysts, bronchopulmonary sequestration, and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.