What is bronchopulmonary sequestration?
Bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS) is a rare lung condition where a part of the lung develops without connecting to normal airways. This area of lung tissue gets its blood supply from an abnormal artery, usually from the aorta.
This is a rare condition affecting 1 in 50,000 births
It is usually found during a routine pregnancy scan. It appears as a bright or solid area in the baby’s chest. Doppler ultrasound is used to show the abnormal blood supply.
BPS develops early in pregnancy due to differences in how the lung forms. It is not caused by anything the parents did and is usually not inherited.
What does it mean for my pregnancy and my baby?
You will be referred to and have care under the fetal medicine team, often this will mean serial ultrasound scans.
You may need additional scans or be referred for an MRI scan.
If the baby does not have any other differences seen then invasive testing is not usually needed
Most babies with BPS do well. In many cases, the area does not cause any problems and may shrink before birth.
Sometimes, if the BPS is large, it can press on the heart or lungs, but this is rare.
Your baby may need scans after birth. Some babies have surgery to remove the abnormal tissue, especially if it causes symptoms or infections.
Will it happen again?
BPS is not usually inherited, so the chance of it happening again is very low.