Objective: To analyse the clinical features and pathogenesis of pneumonia post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Methods: Analysis was made of 255 patients of recipients of allo-HSCT from 1998 to 2001.
Results: Seventy-two episodes of pneumonia occurred in 66 patients with the morbidity of 25.9%; 50 (75%) patients were cured. Twelve episodes (16.7%) were caused by mixed infection of bacteria and fungi; 22 episodes (30.6%) were caused by cytomegalovirus infection and 36 episodes (50.0%) were classified as idiopathic pneumonia syndrome. The total mortility of pneumonia post allo-HSCT in our institute was 22.7%. The occurrence of chronic graft-versus-host disease was significantly high in idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, in which good response to immune suppressive therapy was observed.
Conclusion: Pneumonia post allo-HSCT is a common complication, of which pathogenesis includes infection and non-infection. Its clinical outcome could be improved by specific therapy.