Hamartoma of the Lung

¹ Resident in Pathology, Wayne County General Hospital.

Approximately 200 hamartomas of the lung have been reported; 33 of these were of the endobronchial type.

The tumors seldom give rise to symptoms and are usually discovered during routine roentgen examination of the chest. They frequently simulate chronic granuloma or malignant neoplasm on the roentgen film although they rarely if ever become malignant.

Nine new cases are presented, one of which seems to be a "pure" chondroma. The tumors arose from the connective tissue of the bronchial wall and expanded outward into the lung parenchyma as well as inward into the bronchial lumen. All of the hamartomas were associated with an infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells and many were found adjacent to areas of chronic pneumonitis and fibrosis.

The possibility is suggested that chronic inflammation may be a factor, in some cases, in formation of pulmonary hamartoma.