Pleuropulmonary blastoma type I presenting as a tension pneumothorax: a case report and review of the literature

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a very rare, aggressive, embryonal pulmonary malignancy that mostly affects children under the age of 5 years. According to the histological features, three subtypes of PPB have been recognized: type I (purely cystic), type II (grossly visible cystic and solid elements), and type III (purely solid). The authors report a case of a 10-month-old male infant with type I PPB, who was clinically misdiagnosed with pneumothorax, that he presented complaining of shortening of breath, fever, and cough. Radiographs of the patient showed right pneumothorax, so he had managed accordingly in another centre without improvement. Then Computed Tomography showed a huge right upper lobe sepated pneumocyst, which was treated surgically and the diagnosis was confirmed by combining the imaging and the histopathological examination as PPB type I. PPB is a relatively rare tumour, and it is important to put PPB with their subtypes within the differential diagnoses of any pulmonary lesion in children below the age of 5 or 6 years, as the early diagnosis will help to give early management. Hence, the patient may have a better outcome.