Delayed pneumothorax after bronchoscopy in a lung transplant patient.
Lung transplant patients commonly undergo transbronchial biopsy to evaluate for rejection. Post-biopsy radiographs are used to exclude pneumothorax, one of the most common major complications. We report a lung transplant patient who developed a pneumothorax 5 months after transbronchial biopsy, with multiple intervening chest computed tomograms documenting that the pneumothorax developed from the biopsy site. This case illustrates that in transplant patients transbronchial biopsy can evolve to pneumothorax several months later, despite normal post-biopsy radiographs.
Department of Radiology,University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7115, USA.
Alan C
AC
Kwan
Sudhakar
S
Pipavath
Peter J
PJ
Leary
Gregory
G
Kicska
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed