A case report of an unusual non-mucinous papillary variant of CPAM type 1 with KRAS mutations

Selection of potential targets for stratifying congenital pulmonary airway malformation patients with molecular imaging: is MUC1 the one?

Currently there is a global lack of consensus about the best treatment for asymptomatic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) patients. The somatic KRAS mutations commonly found in adult lung cancer combined with mucinous proliferations are sometimes found in CPAM. For this risk of developing malignancy, 70% of paediatric surgeons perform a resection for asymptomatic CPAM. In order to stratify these patients into high- and low-risk groups for developing malignancy, a minimally invasive diagnostic method is needed, for example targeted molecular imaging. A prerequisite for this technique is a cell membrane bound target. The aim of this study was to review the literature to identify potential targets for molecular imaging in CPAM patients and perform a first step to validate these findings.A systematic search was conducted to identify possible targets in CPAM and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) patients. The most interesting targets were evaluated with immunofluorescent staining in adjacent lung tissue, KRAS+ CPAM tissue and KRAS- CPAM tissue.In 185 included studies, 143 possible targets were described, of which 20 targets were upregulated and membrane-bound. Six of them were also upregulated in lung AIS tissue (CEACAM5, E-cadherin, EGFR, ERBB2, ITGA2 and MUC1) and as such of possible interest. Validating studies showed that MUC1 is a potential interesting target.This study provides an extensive overview of all known potential targets in CPAM that might identify those patients at risk for malignancy and conducted the first step towards validation, identifying MUC1 as the most promising target.

Defining the spatial landscape of KRAS mutated congenital pulmonary airway malformations: a distinct entity with a spectrum of histopathologic features

The potential pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the varied morphology of congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAMs) have not been molecularly determined, but a subset have been shown to contain clusters of mucinous cells (MCC). These clusters are believed to serve as precursors for potential invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma, and they are associated with KRAS codon 12 mutations. To assess the universality of KRAS mutations in MCCs, we sequenced exon 2 of KRAS in 61 MCCs from 18 patients, and we found a KRAS codon 12 mutation in all 61 MCCs. Furthermore, all MCCs from a single patient always had the same KRAS mutation, and the same KRAS mutation was also found in non-mucinous lesional tissue. Next generation sequencing of seven MCCs showed no other mutations or copy number variations. Sequencing of 46 additional CPAMs with MCCs revealed KRAS mutations in non-mucinous lesional tissue in all cases. RNA in situ hybridization confirmed widespread distribution of cells with mutant KRAS RNA, even extending outside of the bronchiolar type epithelium. We identified 25 additional CPAMs with overall histologic architecture similar to CPAMs with KRAS mutations but without identifiable MCCs, and we found KRAS mutations in 17 (68%). The histologic features of these KRAS mutated CPAMs included type 1 and type 3 morphology, as well as lesions with an intermediate histologic appearance, and analysis revealed a strong correlation between the specific amino acid substitution and histomorphology. These findings, together with previously published model organism data, suggests that the formation of type 1 and 3 CPAMs is driven by mosaic KRAS mutations arising in the lung epithelium early in development and places them within the growing field of mosaic RASopathies. The presence of widespread epithelial mutation explains late metastatic disease in incompletely resected patients and reinforces the recommendation for complete resection of these lesions.

Atypical Antenatal Presentation of an Unusual Nonmucinous Papillary Variant of Giant Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation Masquerading as Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia with Volvulus

We report a case of a huge congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) that was referred as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Initial ultrasound evaluation revealed a huge cystic lesion with septations, in the thorax, causing mediastinal shift and compression effects, suggesting the possibility of a thoracic lymphangioma, or bowel herniation with obstruction. A fetal magnetic resonance imaging reported possible bowel herniation through a posterior defect in the diaphragm, with volvulus, reinforcing the diagnosis of CDH. It was only on autopsy and subsequent histopathology examination that the diagnosis of a rare variant of CPAM-nonmucinous papillary type, could be made. To the best of our knowledge, a CPAM this huge has not been reported prenatally at this gestation. We recommend considering the potential diagnosis of CPAM in any thoracic cystic irrespective of its size or appearance.

Mucinous Cell Clusters in Infantile Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformations Mimic Adult Mucinous Adenocarcinoma But Are Not Associated With Poor Outcomes When Appropriately Resected

Congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAMs) are abnormalities of the lung arising during development. At our institution the majority of type I infantile CPAMs contain mucinous cell clusters (MCCs). The overlapping histology of MCCs and adult in situ mucinous adenocarcinomas, as well as reports of metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma arising in CPAMs resected later in childhood raise concerns about the malignant potential of these cells. However, after adequate surgical resection, malignant recurrence has not been reported in infants with CPAMs. Despite benign behavior, MCCs often have histologic features that, in an adult, would be consistent with a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Therefore, to assess the spectrum of features that may be seen in these presumed precursor lesions, we characterized the histology of 671 MCCs spread across 44 infantile CPAMs and compared them to 10 adult mucinous adenocarcinomas. MCCs in CPAMS were often numerous, widespread, and located outside of the large cysts. Mucinous and nonmucinous epithelium within CPAMs showed complex architecture, making application of adult adenocarcinoma architectural patterns difficult. The MCCs within CPAMs displayed nuclear features similar to adult mucinous adenocarcinomas. The proliferative index in infantile MCCs was higher than in adult mucinous adenocarcinomas but was also higher in uninvolved infantile lung tissue. This work illustrates that histologic features typically associated with adenocarcinoma frequently occur within CPAMs; however, this does not alter their benign behavior. Therefore, extreme caution should be used if adult lung cancer terminology is applied to avoid significant potential psychological and physical harms associated with the label of adenocarcinoma.