Complications of Lung Transplantation: A Roentgenographic Perspective

Abstract

Lung transplantation is now an established treatment for a broad spectrum of end-stage pulmonary diseases. According to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Registry, more than 50,000 lung transplants have been performed worldwide, with nearly 11,000 lung transplant recipients alive in the United States. With the increasing application of lung transplantation, pulmonologists must be cognizant of common complications unique to the postlung transplant period and the associated radiologic findings. The aim of this review is to describe clinical manifestations and prototypical radiographic features of both common and rare complications encountered in lung transplant recipients.

Keywords: chest radiology; computerized tomography; imaging abnormalities in lung transplant recipients; lung transplant complications.