Accuracy of Chest Computed Tomography in Distinguishing Cystic Pleuropulmonary Blastoma From Benign Congenital Lung Malformations in Children

Key Points Question Can chest computed tomography be used to detect malignant tumors in children with cystic lung lesions? Findings In this multi-institutional case-control study of 40 children with cystic lung lesions, the sensitivity for detecting pleuropulmonary blastoma was 58%, and the specificity was 83%. Although high suspicion for malignancy was significantly correlated with malignant tumors, the diagnostic accuracy was 81%, and agreement among radiologists was poor. Meaning This study suggests that computed tomography may not accurately and reliably identify pleuropulmonary blastoma; operative management is therefore recommended to confirm pathologic diagnosis in postnatally detected cystic lesions.