Ocular complications in patients with lung transplants.
OBJECTIVE
To describe infectious and non-infectious ocular complications found in patients with lung transplants.


METHODS
545 patients underwent lung transplantation from January 1998 to September 2008 at the Cleveland Clinic. Patients who underwent ophthalmic examination at the Cole Eye Institute after lung transplantation were included in the study.


RESULTS
Diagnoses, treatments, surgeries, laboratory parameters of immune status and patient survival were examined.


RESULTS
Of the 545 patients who received a lung transplant during the study period at the Cleveland Clinic, 46 (8.4%) patients underwent ophthalmology examination after a lung transplant. The most common ocular finding was posterior subcapsular cataract, found in 13/46 (28.3%) patients. Infectious ocular complications were present in 6/46 patients (13.0%) including fungal infections (rhino-orbital mucormycosis (n=1), disseminated Pseudallescheria boydii infection (n=2)), cytomegalovirus retinitis (n=1), varicella-zoster virus keratouveitis (n=1) and herpes zoster ophthalmicus (n=1). Five of six patients with infectious ocular complications died within 6 months of evaluation. Decreased absolute lymphocyte count was associated with infectious ocular complications (p=0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
Many ocular conditions can occur in patients with lung transplants. Ocular infectious complications were uncommon but may be associated with increased mortality.
Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Ahmad B
AB
Tarabishy
Omar F
OF
Khatib
John R
JR
Nocero
Marie
M
Budev
Peter K
PK
Kaiser
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D055815:Young Adult