TUBERCULOSIS IN TRANSPLANTED LUNGS

Over a 4-year period in four of 61 patients (6.5%) who survived lung t ransplantation, pulmonary tuberculosis developed at a mean of 7.5 mont hs (range 3 to 13 months) after operation. Clinical and radiologic fea tures were atypical. Definitive bacteriologic diagnosis, which was est ablished on bronchial, sputum, and pleural fluid samples, may be delay ed by the concomitant presence of other infective organisms and the ne cessity for repeated sampling. All patients were treated successfully with antituberculous chemotherapy, but one patient also required lobec tomy. At a mean follow-up of 2.25 years (range, 1 to 3 years), three p atients are free of active disease, and one patient had a recurrence a t 2 years. Tuberculosis in transplanted lungs is an uncommon but serio us infection that may elude diagnosis but respond well to treatment.