Some babies are born with a part of their lung that has not developed normally. This might be an area of abnormal tissue, a cyst, or a section of lung that does not work as it should.
Collectively, these conditions are known as Congenital Lung Malformations (CLMs). Within this group, there are five main conditions, some of which have had more than one name over the years:
Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM) / Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation (CCAM)
Pulmonary Sequestration
Congenital Lobar Emphysema (CLE) / Congenital Lobar Overinflation (CLO)
Bronchial Atresia
Bronchogenic Cyst
These conditions are usually found on a pregnancy scan and are sometimes treated with surgery in the first months or years of life. Sometimes, a decision is made not to remove the abnormal piece of lung, and the child is monitored for any symptoms as they grow.
Many children do very well after treatment or without any treatment, but some may have subtle differences in how their lungs work as they grow older. Our research aims to understand how the lungs develop over time in children who have had these conditions.