Patterns of Blood Supply and Venous Drainage in Pediatric Intralobar Pulmonary Sequestration: A Retrospective Analysis of 30 Pediatric Cases from a Single Center

Purposes: Intralobar pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital anomaly that causes nonspecific respiratory symptoms. This report presented our surgical experience for pediatric cases of intralobar pulmonary sequestration in our institute. Methods: Between 2002 and 2014, 30 pediatric patients with intralobar pulmonary sequestration underwent lobectomy. The clinical characteristics of patients were retrospectively analyzed using medical records and imaging data. Results: The median age at operation was 23 months. The sequestered lung was situated in the right lower lung in 15 cases and in the left lower lung in 15 cases. Eight cases were prenatally diagnosed by fetal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. One aberrant artery was seen in 26 cases and two aberrant arteries in 4 cases. The drainage vein from the sequestered lung was: 1) the pulmonary vein in 27 cases; 2) the inferior vena cava in 1 case; and 3) the azygos vein and the pulmonary vein in 2 cases. All patients underwent lower lobectomy of the affected side without postoperative early and long-term complications. Conclusion: Due to the increased rate of prenatal diagnoses, the age at operation has decreased. With respect to safety, it is vital to ascertain the number of aberrant arteries and the venous drainage route before lobectomy.