Pulmonary hamartoma. A clinical study of 77 cases in a 21-year period and review of literature.

Seventy-seven pulmonary hamartomas were operated upon during a 21-year period (1966-1986); 43 (55.8%) patients were male and 34 (44.2%), female. Thoracotomy was carried out: in all 53 enucleations, 18 wedge resections, 5 lobectomies, and 1 apico-basal segmentectomy were performed. The size of the tumours varied in diameter between 1 cm and 8 cm (mean 2.27 cm) and 23 (29.9%) of patients had previous, concomitant or subsequent pulmonary or pleural disease. Operative mortality was nil. There were 19 postoperative complications in 18 patients. All 77 patients were called for a follow-up examination 6 months to 20 years after operation (mean 8.1 years). Eleven had died, 15 answered with a letter and 39 came to control examination. Thirteen patients did not respond to the questionnaire but were still alive according to the national statistics. One patient developed postoperative lung cancer of which he died 8 years after operation. The others are doing well. Although benign in nature, the only therapy for primary hamartoma is operative removal of the tumour.