BRONCHO ALVEOLAR LAVAGE FINDINGS OF THE RENAL TRANSPLANT PATIENTS WITH FEBRILE PNEUMONIC SYNDROME

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings of seven renal transplant patients out of 38 who presented with newly occured pulmonary infiltrates and fever (37 "C axillary), and did not respond to nonspecific therapy were studied.

The most predominant clinical features were dyspnea and tacypnea in six patients. Fever ranged from 38.2-39.5 "C (mean 38.6). We observed unilateral lobar infiltration in five patients, and diffuse nonspecific bilateral infiltrations in two patients on the chest X-rays.CMV IgM was positive in four patients by ELISA method.The sputum cultures were not significant.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with BAL performed for microbiologic and histopathologic diagnosis was conclusive in all cases. The diagnostic yield for different pathogens was Staphylococcus aureus in three patients, Pneumocystis carinii in one, Pseudomonas spp. in two, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in one patient.