[Bronchogenic cysts. Importance of infection in adults. Study of 12 cases].

BACKGROUND: Bronchogenic cyst is a rare congenital malformation and commonly located in the mediastinum and lung parenchyma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical characteristics of the patients with diagnosis of bronchogenic cysts, their location and the infectious bacteria when the cysts are infected. The cases were collected from 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2013, in a third level hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The cases with bronchogenic cysts resected by thoracotomy were confirmed by histological study. Age, sex, admission diagnosis, location, size, imagenologic studies, and bacteriological cultures were evaluated.

RESULTS: Of the 12 cases with diagnosis of bronchogenic cysts surgically resected by thoracotomy, six were male and six female, with 50% located in lung parenchyma and 50% in mediastinum, one of the latter was para-oesophageal. Bacteriological study of the cystic content demonstrated bacterial infection in seven (58%) cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Bronchogenic cysts are rare congenital benign lesions. They must be resected because their content might be infected. The histopathology study is necessary to confirm the diagnosis, together with bacteriological examination. Thoracotomy is a safe procedure to resect bronchogenic cysts.