Late postoperative XXXX following lung transplantation: characteristics and clinical implications.

@entity1143 @entity1
OBJECTIVE: Pleural effusions are extremely common in the early postoperative period after lung transplantation (LTX). It occurs in all transplant recipients, and like pleural fluid following other cardiothoracic surgery is bloody, exudative and neutrophil predominant. There was no information, however, on the characteristics of the late (14-45 days) postoperative pleural fluid after LTX. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and the clinical implications of late postoperative @entity1143 after LTX. METHODS: Thirty-five @entity1 underwent TX between May 1997 and May 2001. Seven @entity1 (20%) developed late postoperative @entity1143 . Thoracentesis were performed in these @entity1 and the white blood cell counts, cell differential as well as biochemical parameters were determined. RESULTS: The median time for late @entity1143 appearance was 23 days (range, 14-34 days) after TX. The @entity1143 were medium in size (700 ml, range, 100-1300), exudative in all the @entity1 and had lymphocyte predominance. No evidence of fluid recurrence or clinical deterioration was noted in these @entity1 . CONCLUSION: Late-onset @entity1143 after LTX is not uncommon. When there is no evidence of rejection or infection, it usually has a benign, favorable outcome.
