Mediastinal bronchogenic cyst resected in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. A case report

INTRODUCTION: Bronchogenic cyst (BC) is an uncommon, benign congenital mediastinal tumor. Its progressive course is often asymptomatic, making the diagnosis difficult or fortuitous, unless non-specific respiratory signs appear, such as persistent cough or respiratory discomfort. We herein report the first documented case in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 63-year-old man, with no prior medical or surgical history, consulted for a persistent dry cough, unresponsive to usual medical treatment. A chest CT scan revealed a cystic mediastinal mass close to both esophagus and aorta. This mass was completely resected through a left posterior thoracotomy. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst. The postoperative course was uneventful. The cough was completely resolved. DISCUSSION: BC is the most common cystic mass of the mediastinum. The case of BC that we report is the first documented and published in the DRC. Diagnosis is often fortuitous, unless clinical signs appear, usually cough, dyspnea, and in some cases fever, recurrent respiratory infections. The surgical resection of the BC must be complete to avoid recurrence, to prevent and treat possible complications. Surgery removes any diagnostic doubt by allowing histological examination of the cystic mass. CONCLUSION: We reported our first resection of a BC. The preoperative diagnosis is often incidental. Complete resection of any BC allows histological diagnosis, treatment or prevention of complications.