INTRODUCTION
Chronic pulmonary graft-versus-host disease (pGvHD) is a complication of
allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that affects
approximately 5.5% recipients and 14% among all long-term survivors
who develop chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)1,
with attributable mortality rates of 9% at 3 years, 12% at 5 years,
and 18% at 10 years after HSCT in the adult
population 2.
Thoracic air leak syndrome (TALS) is a complication related to chronic
pulmonary GvHD; such complication is defined as the occurrence of any
form of air leak in the thorax 3, and usually occurs
as a late complication of HSCT (i.e., more than 100 days after
transplant) 4 –
6. TALS is reported to affect approximately
0.83-3.08% adult patients after
allogenic HSCT7
– 9.
The aim of the present study is to describe a single-center experience
in the surgical management of recurrent TALS in adolescents and young
adults and its outcome.