Clinical spectrum of pulmonary hamartoma diagnosed by surgical resection

We retrospectively reviewed our institutional experience of pulmonary hamartomas. We analyzed the records of 23 patients with pulmonary hamartomas which were diagnosed by surgical resection. There were 12 males and 11 females. Their mean age was 53.5 years old (range: 28 to 71 years). Twenty patients were asymptomatic, 2 had chest pain and 1 had a cough. Twenty-two patients had solitary and only 1 patient had multiple lesions. The tumor sizes ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 cm (mean: 1.5 cm). Graphically, 6 patients had calcification which was not popcorn-like. We could not diagnose nodules by bronchoscopic biopsy, which was preoperatively performed in 17 patients. Surgery was performed because we could not rule out malignancy in all patients. Surgical procedures consisted of 6 enucleation, 16 wedge resection and 1 lobectomy. Video-assisted thoracic surgery was performed in 17 patients. To diagnose pulmonary nodule, whose malignancy is difficult to determine, surgical resection should be considered. (author)