Lung Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Lung Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Pulmonary embolization of microcrystalline cellulose in a lung transplant recipient.

Fields TA, McCall SJ, Reams BD, Roggli VL, Palmer SM, Howell DN

Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.

Intravenous injection of drugs that contain insoluble foreign material can lead to pulmonary embolization of the material and can have devastating results, including pulmonary hypertension and death. Most cases are detected after the onset of extensive, irreversible damage, precluding potentially life-saving intervention, or are detected at autopsy. We report here a case of microcrystalline cellulose embolization in a lung transplant recipient detected at routine transbronchial biopsy, and we describe the circumstances associated with the development of this condition and its clinical outcome.

Published 17 May 2005 in J Heart Lung Transplant, 24(5): 624-7.
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