Presentation and Surgical Management of Bronchogenic and Esophageal Duplication Cysts in Adults

• Published in: Chest Vol. 113; no. 6; pp. 1492 - 1496
• Main Authors: Cioffi, Ugo, Bonavina, Luigi, De Simone, Matilde, Santambrogio, Luigi, Pavoni, Gianni, Testori, Alberto, Peracchia, Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Northbrook, IL Elsevier Inc 01.06.1998; American College of Chest Physicians
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Asymptomatic; Barium; Biological and medical sciences; bronchogenic cyst; Bronchogenic Cyst - diagnosis; Bronchogenic Cyst - surgery; Cartilage; Congenital diseases; Cysts; Dysphagia; Endoscopy; Esophageal Cyst - diagnosis; Esophageal Cyst - surgery; esophageal duplication cyst; Esophagus; Esophagus - abnormalities; Female; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Ostomy; Pain; Patients; Pneumology; Postoperative Complications; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Thoracic surgery; video-assisted thoracic surgery; bronchogenic cyst; video-assisted thoracic surgery; esophageal duplication cyst; Human; Endoscopic surgery; Excision; Respiratory disease; Bronchogenic cyst; Congenital disease; Esophagus; Symptomatology; Treatment; Malformation; Surgery; Cyst; Digestive diseases
• ISSN: 0012-3692; 1931-3543
• DOI: 10.1378/chest.113.6.1492

Bronchogenic and esophageal duplication cysts are congenital anomalies of the tracheobronchial tree and foregut that are often asymptomatic at initial presentation in adults. Surgery is always recommended, even for patients with asymptomatic disease, because of the possible development of symptoms and complications during the natural course of the disease and because definitive diagnosis can be established only on surgical specimen. Twenty-seven patients with bronchogenic and esophageal duplication cysts were treated in our institution over the last 2 decades. Ten patients (37%) were asymptomatic at initial presentation. Chest pain and dysphagia were the most common complaints in symptomatic patients affected by bronchogenic and duplication cysts, respectively. A complete excision of the cyst was performed in 26 cases, whereas one patient with intrapulmonary cyst underwent a right upper pulmonary lobectomy. A posterolateral thoracotomy was performed in 23 patients, and a video-assisted thoracoscopy using a three-port technique was performed in the last 4 patients. No postoperative morbidity was recorded. All patients, except one, were asymptomatic at a median follow-up time of 4 years. Surgery is the treatment of choice for bronchogenic and esophageal duplication cysts. Video-assisted thoracoscopy should represent the first-line approach in these patients.