Pleuropulmonary blastoma: is prophylactic resection of congenital lung cysts effective?

Pleuropulmonary blastomas (PPB) are rare intrathoracic tumors that can develop in children with preexisting pulmonary cystic lesions, inferring that the prophylactic resection of such cysts might prevent the onset of these malignant tumors. We report a patient who went on to develop PPB in the right lung despite having had resections for bilateral congenital pulmonary cysts 23 months earlier. We therefore question the effectiveness of prophylactic resection of congenital lung cysts on this basis.