Pulmonary complications of renal transplantation: a survey of patients treated by low-dose immunosuppression.

Sixty-eight episodes of pulmonary complication developed in 52 of 416 renal transplant recipients treated with low-dose immunosuppression. Twenty-four complications were noninfectious (20 were pulmonary edema due to transplant rejection). Forty-four complications were infectious (75% of were wholly bacterial). Nine patients died from their pulmonary complications; 7 had bacterial pneumonia, but other infections were also present in 5. Several patterns were seen radiographically. Cardiomegaly, vascular congestion, and patchy consolidation indicated pulmonary edema. Segmental and labor consolidations were usually bacterial in origin. Large cavitary nodules, small nodules, and generalized consolidation were often due to diseases requiring biopsy for diagnosis.