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.