RADIOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN LUNG TRANSPLANTA TION

Lung transplantation (single-lung transplantation, double-lung transpl antation or heart-lung transplantation) may be the only effective ther apy in end-stage pulmonary disease. At specialized institutions it has been performed on a routine basis for some years now. Diagnostic imag ing plays an important role in the assessment of potential recipients as well as for the postoperative evaluation after transplantation. The aim of this review is to describe the role of imaging procedures of t he chest in these patients and to demonstrate characteristic plain rad iographic and computed tomographic findings. Normal postoperative find ings specific to lung transplant patients as well as typical. Complica tions are presented. These include reimplantation response, acute and chronic rejection, and the typical bacterial, viral, and fungal infect ions as well as the sequelae of transbronchial biopsy.