Imaging congenital lesions of the respiratory tract

Abstract

Prenatal lung lesions generally have a good prognosis in the absence of hydrops. In infants presenting with stridor, congenital abnormalities such as tracheomalacia, tracheo-oesophageal fistula and vascular ring malformation must be considered. In older children with persistent chest symptoms and chest radiograph abnormality, underlying sequestration or cystic adenomatoid malformation must be excluded. Asymmetry of lung size and lucency are important observations that warrant follow-up with inspiratory and expiratory films. In older infants and children, foreign body aspiration must be excluded but lung hypoplasia and congenital lobar emphysema should be considered in the differential.