ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lung transplant recipients may have pleural complications. However, the influence of these complications on the prognosis is not well known. METHODS: We analyzed pleural complications and clinical and radiologic data from 100 patients who underwent lung transplantation in a general hospital in a 9-year period. Pre-operative evaluation, surgical protocol, immunosuppressive regimen, and follow-up were carried out systematically. Chest computerized tomography (CT) was performed at 3 and 12 months after transplantation. RESULTS: All patients had early post-operative pleural effusion ipsilateral to the graft, which required drainage for a mean of 19.3 days (range, 5-52 days). Thirty-four patients had 43 acute pleural complications: 15 hemothoraxes, 10 persistent air leaks, 8 pneumothoraxes, 7 transient air leaks, and 3 empyemas. Multivariate analysis showed hemothorax and persistent air leak were associated with increased post-operative mortality (p = 0.024, p = 0.011, respectively). Post-operative mortality was not associated with any pre-transplant variable. Chest CT findings at 3 months revealed > or =1 pleural alteration in 58 of 70 patients (83%): 34 post-operative residual ipsilateral pleural effusions; 36 pleural thickenings; and 3 residual pneumothoraxes, 1 with a coexisting bronchial dehiscence. Chest CT at 12 months showed pleural alterations in 50 of 58 patients (86%): pleural thickening in 48, calcification in 4, and residual pleural effusion in 4. CONCLUSIONS: Pleural complications are common in lung transplant recipients. Hemothorax and persistent air leak are associated with increased post-operative mortality. Chest CT showed pleural alterations in most patients 12 months after transplantation.
Subject(s)
Lung Transplantation/adverse effects , Pleural Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Pleural Diseases/etiology , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Acute Disease , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Hemothorax/etiology , Humans , Lung Transplantation/mortality , Male , Middle Aged , Pleural Diseases/mortality , Pleural Effusion/etiology , Retrospective Studies , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Primary pulmonary hypertension is a poorly understood disease with a difficult treatment. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Retrospective study of a series of 44 patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension who were studied in our center between 1992 and 2000. RESULTS: At diagnosis, 6 (13%) patients were classified as having NYHA functional class I, 11 (25%) had class II, 25 (57%) had class III, and 2 had class IV. Mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure by echo-doppler was 92 (range: 43-154) mmHg. Basal right catheterization showed a mean (SD) pulmonary artery pressure of 58 (18) mmHg, total basal pulmonary resistances of 1679 (1,071) din/cm2 and cardiac index of 2.2 (1) 1/minute/m2. Five patients improved with anticoagulation and calcium channel blockers therapy. Since 1998, 11 patients had been treated with continuous endovenous epoprostenol, yet only 3 (27%) had significant clinical improvement. Survival at 5 years after diagnosis was 56%. At the end of study, 7 (70%) out of 10 patients who underwent pulmonary transplantation were alive (mean: 34, range: 3-62 months). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary hypertension is a disease with a poor prognosis. However, treatment with prostaglandins and pulmonary transplantation may lead to encouraging results.