Pulmonary Hamartomas: A Report of 13 Parenchymal and Endobronchial Cases

Objectives: To analyze clinical, radiographic, bronchoscopic, and therapeutic characteristics of a series of patients in whom pulmonary hamartoma had been diagnosed.
Methods: Retrospective review of cases of pulmonary hamartomas diagnosed by biopsy between January 2007 and May 2012 in a tertiary referral hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.
Results: Of the 13 patients with histologically confirmed pulmonary hamartoma, seven were men and six were women (approximately a 1.2: 1 sex ratio). Their age ranged from 45 to 68 years old. Three patients were asymptomatic. The duration of symptoms ranged from one week to two years. Chest radiograph findings were abnormal in all patients. The lesions were located in the right lung in nine cases, with lower lobe predilection. Among the patients with pulmonary hamartoma, four (30.8 %) had endobronchial hamartoma. Treatment modality was wedge resection in five cases, enucleation in four cases, bronchoscopic procedure in three cases and lobectomy in one case. Follow-up ranged from one month to 54 months. No tumor recurrence was encountered in the follow-up period.
Conclusions: Pulmonary hamartomas are uncommon benign lesions of the lung. They can be parenchymal or endobronchial in location. Parenchyma sparing surgical procedures such as wedge resection or enucleation and bronchoscopic intervention should be preferred in the treatment of pulmonary hamartomas.