Key facts
- Chinese doctors removed a fast-growing chest tumor from a baby before birth.
- The surgery was a joint effort between Shenzhen Baoan Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
- Fetal lung masses are abnormal growths of lung tissue that form before birth.
- These masses are usually benign but can cause health problems by pressing on the fetus's developing lungs and heart.
Doctors in China have successfully removed a fast-growing chest tumor from a fetus while it was still in the womb, a procedure that offers new hope for treating congenital lung conditions before birth. The surgery was a joint effort between Shenzhen Baoan Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Fetal lung masses or lesions are abnormal growths of lung tissue that form in or near the lungs before a baby is born. These masses are almost always benign but can put pressure on the fetus's developing lungs and heart, potentially causing health problems such as hydrops fetalis (fluid buildup due to impaired heart function) or pleural effusion (fluid buildup between the lungs and chest wall). In some cases, they can also lead to neonatal pneumonia if infected.
Common types of fetal lung masses include congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM), formerly known as congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM), bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS), hybrid lesions, and bronchial atresia. The exact causes of these masses are unknown and they are not typically inherited.