A Case of Pulmonary Hamartoma

폐과오종(肺過誤腫)의 일치험례(一治驗例)

Since. its first description by Albrecht in 1904 that hamartoma (Greek. meaning "error" and "tumor")is tumor-like malformation characterized by abnormal mixture of normal constituent in any organ it arises, hamartoma involving the lung has assumed the following clinical features.: 1) all the pulmonary lesions presenting as "coin lesions", it occupies about 8% according to various reports. It also constitutes the most prevalent lesion of all the benign lung tumors, appearing in 0.25% of the general population. 2) Peak incidence of the lesion occurs in the 5th and 6th decade as the carcinoma patient do, and the occasional growing tendency and periperal location as in this presentation renders the differential diagnosis from the malignant disease difficult and surgical intervention inevitable for definite histological diagnosis and treatment. 3) Nearly all the clinical investigations such as history, physical exam, bronchoscopy, culture, and cytological exam of sputum sre likely to futile:the only tool for detecting the presence of the lesion is X-ray, butthat's short of telling the true nature of it. 4) Because of its age of presentation and growing tendency in middle-aged adult, it still controversial whether it is developmental anomaly as Albrecht described, or true neoplasm denovo of fibrous connective tissue origin. This is a case report of surgical experience of pulmonary hamartoma which had nearly all the typical clinical features above mentioned and was reviewed with related literatures.