title: Type III pleuropulmonary blastoma in a 7-month-old female baby with impending respiratory failure: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pleuropulmonary blastoma is a very rare, aggressive, embryonal pulmonary neoplasm which mostly affects children under the age of 5. According to the histopathological features, three subtypes of pleuropulmonary blastoma have been recognized: type I (purely cystic), type II (grossly visible cystic and solid elements) and type III (purely solid). Characteristics of type I and type II blastoma allow an earlier diagnosis compared with type III. Here we present a case report of an unusual presentation of type III pleuropulmonary blastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the case of a 7-month-old female baby of Italian mother and Kurdish father who was diagnosed with type III pleuropulmonary blastoma, which entirely occupied her right hemithorax.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reported case is an unusual presentation because type III pleuropulmonary blastoma typically occurs in older children. The complete re-expansion of her residual, previously totally compressed, right lung observed immediately after the resection of the lesion suggests an atypical rapid growth of this embryonal tumor in the late phase of gestation or after delivery. This case report suggests that, in addition to other childhood tumors, type III pleuropulmonary blastoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of solid nonhomogeneous thoracic large masses, compressing the mediastinal and chest wall structures in infants. This is an original case report of interest for several specialities such us pediatrics, radiology, surgery and oncology.
authors: Agnese
authors: A
authors: Castro
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Franzonello
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Leonardi
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Di Cataldo
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Potenza
authors: Gaetano
authors: G
authors: Magro
authors: Giovanni A
authors: GA
authors: Rossi
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. m.larosa@unict.it.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: La Rosa
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D018202:Pulmonary Blastoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed