Lung transplantation for pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis after chemotherapy.

Abstract

We report the youngest patient ever reported in the literature to exhibit pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) as a late-onset pulmonary toxicity after treatment with anticancer chemotherapy. The patient was diagnosed with mature B-cell leukemia at age 14. He was successfully treated with intensive chemotherapy; however, 7 years later, he experienced recurrent pneumothoraces. He was clinically diagnosed with upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis. At age 28, he underwent single left lung transplantation. Histologic examination of the resected lung revealed PPFE in the upper lobe and constrictive bronchiolitis obliterans in the lower lobe, which implied a close relationship between PPFE and constrictive bronchiolitis obliterans.