PURPOSE:

To evaluate computed tomographic (CT) scans of patients with organizing pneumonia (OP) complicating hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A review of patients who underwent HSCT at our institution identified 16 patients who had documented OP on biopsy. Computed tomographic scans were reviewed by 2 thoracic radiologists.

RESULTS:

Ground glass opacities (GGO) were seen in 15 patients, consolidation in 8 patients, linear opacities in 8 patients, traction bronchiectasis in 2 patients, and septal thickening in 2 patients. Ground glass opacity was the dominant abnormality in 7 patients, consolidation in 4 patients, and linear opacities in 5 patients. Peribronchovascular distribution was found in 4 patients, peripheral in 2 patients, diffuse in 3 patients; upper lung predominance was found in 10 patients, and lower lung predominance in 5 patients.

CONCLUSION:

The principal computed tomographic features of OP after HSCT are ground glass opacities, consolidation and linear opacities, with upper lung predominance. Allowing for a possible sampling bias, these findings differ from those reported in cryptogenic OP and OP from other causes.