Obstructive and Restrictive Lung Disease After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract

Pulmonary complications are frequently encountered by clinicians in patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in these patients. Complications involving the lung are caused by both infectious and non-infectious etiologies, with non- infectious complications associated with significant long-term effect on the quality of life and can occur several years after transplantation. One manifestation of non-infectious post-transplant complication is a change in pulmonary function testing compared to pre-transplant testing. These changes can either be of an obstructive or restrictive pattern with each being associated with specific post-transplant complications. An improved understanding of obstructive and restrictive lung disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplant is necessary for both primary care physicians and specialists to recognize these diseases early in their course in order to facilitate work-up, treatment, and necessary follow-up. This review will provide an overview of obstructive and restrictive lung disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplant focusing on the etiologies, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. We will highlight bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome as an example of obstructive disease after transplant and will discuss pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis as a cause for restrictive findings on pulmonary function testing. Improvements in the knowledge of the underlying etiologies and pathophysiology of obstructive and restrictive lung disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplant will allow for the identification of novel biomarkers to facilitate the diagnosis of these patients and will assist in the design of future targeted therapies to improve treatment and prognosis.