Abstract
Patients with hematologic diseases may complicate with various respiratory diseases, such as infections, lung involvement of hematologic diseases, alveolar hemorrhage, and drug-induced pneumonitis. The aim of this study is to clarify the recent incidence and the risk factor for pulmonary complications in patients with hematologic diseases. Medical records and chest computed tomography of patients with hematologic diseases, who were admitted to our university hospital during 2010-2011, were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively by hematologists and pulmonologists. Diagnosis of respiratory complications was confirmed by pulmonologists. One hundred sixty six patients with hematologic diseases were admitted mainly for chemotherapy of malignant lymphoma (51.2%), multiple myeloma (17.5%), and leukemia (15.7%). Forty six patients (27.7%) suffered from pneumonia (27 cases, 51.9%), pleural effusion (8 cases, 15.4%), drug-induced pneumonitis (3 cases, 5.7%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS, 2 cases, 3.8%), alveolar hemorrhage (2 cases, 3.8%), and/or others (10 cases, 19.2%). Six patients (3.6%) were deceased because of respiratory complications (3 cases with pneumonia, 2 cases with ARDS, and a case with alveolar hemorrhage). Pulmonary complications developed significantly higher in current or recent smokers than never smokers. Pulmonary complications in hematologic diseases may be decreased by recent introduction of prophylaxis for infections, but are still important in the management of hematologic diseases. Smoking status may be related to the development of pulmonary complications during treatment of hematologic diseases.
- © 2012 ERS
