An investigation on clinical differences between congenital pulmonary airway malformation and bronchial atresia

Abstract Background/Purpose Differences in clinical features between congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) and bronchial atresia (BA) have not yet been clearly described. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 112 patients with a pathological diagnosis of CPAM or BA. The clinical parameters were statistically analyzed between these diseases. Results Seventy-one patients received prenatal diagnosis and 41 received postnatal diagnosis. The percentage of prenatal diagnosis was significantly higher in CPAM patients (84% vs 50%, p p p p p  = 0.2). In patients receiving postnatal diagnosis, pneumonia was the primary symptom in most BA patients, whereas respiratory distress was the major symptom in patients with CPAM. Age at presentation of the primary symptom was significantly older in BA patients (4.2 years vs 1.2 years, p Conclusion CPAM and BA have distinct clinical features in terms of therapeutic and natural history. Careful imaging evaluation and pathological analysis can lead to an accurate diagnosis of BA. Type of study Prognostic study. Level of evidence Level II. This study is categorized as a “Prognostic Study” with LEVEL III of Evidence.