Bronchiolitis obliterans after lung transplantation [Bronchiolitis obliterans nach lungentransplantation]

The long-term prognosis of lung transplant recipients is primarily limited by a decay of pulmonary function that is attributable to chronic graft rejection, also known as bronchiolitis obliterans. Because early detection is considered a prerequisite for effective treatment, computed tomography of the lung has been proposed to predict the occurrence of bronchiolitis obliterans, and bronchiectasis has been cited as one important CT sign of this entity. The diagnostic powers of this sign, however, are limited, and the absence of bronchiectasis does not exclude bronchiolitis obliterans.