The antenatal diagnosis of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung

Congenital cystic adenamatoid malformation (CCAM) is a rare pulmonary malformation characterized by the overgrowth of the terminal respiratory structures. Approximately 200 cases have been reported in the literature and the antenatal diagnosis by ultrasonography has been described in several case reports. We report two cases of this condition where the diagnosis was made antenatally. In the second case, the early diagnosis of the lethal microcystic form of the abnormality at a gestational age of 18 weeks allowed the elective termination of the pregnancy. This is the earliest diagnosis of this form of CCAM that has been reported. A 28-year-old woman (gravida 3, para 1) was referred for a detailed antenatal scan after a scan at another hospital revealed multiple cysts within the right hemithorax. The detailed scan showed a single fetus of an estimated gestational age of 25 weeks (biparietal diameter, 6.8 cm; femur length, 4.5 cm; trunk circumference, 20.5 cm). There were multiple cysts in the right thorax w...