Cysts and cystlike lesions of the lung.

This article has reviewed the major pulmonary cystic lesions occurring in infants and children. The chest radiograph will initially reveal either single or multiple well-circumscribed radiopaque or radiolucent areas. In younger patients, radiopaque lesions are best evaluated with sonography, which can define the internal architecture of the mass, its location, and vascular supply. On the other hand, radiolucent lesions, lesions inaccessible to the sonographic beam, and lesions requiring analysis of the pulmonary parenchyma are best assessed with CT. MR is helpful in the preoperative evaluation of sequestration after infancy. Thus within the framework of an age-dependent algorithm, pulmonary cystic lesions can be analyzed effectively and an appropriate diagnosis established.