Lung Biopsies in Patients Referred for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Diagnostic Accuracy…

Cohort studyTransplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society· 2026

Lung Biopsies in Patients Referred for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Diagnostic Accuracy, Diagnostic Yield, and Clinical Utility.

Sergio Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Ayman Sayyed, Swe Mar Linn … Jonas Mattsson

Thoracic PathologyCohort studyDiagnosisQ2IF 1.8

Lung biopsy in transplant referrals gave a specific diagnosis in 72% of cases

Lung Biopsies in Patients Referred for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Diagnostic Accuracy, Diagnostic Yield, and Clinical Utility.

Sergio Rodriguez-Rodriguez … Jonas Mattsson

Transplant infectious disease · 2026

Background

Pulmonary complications after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.

Purpose

We aimed to determine the accuracy (descriptive histopathological report), diagnostic yield (specific histopathologic diagnosis that plausibly explained radiologic abnormalities), complication rates, and clinical utility of lung biopsies performed in patients referred for allo-HCT at a comprehensive cancer center for pulmonary opacities.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 76 lung biopsies (image-guided transthoracic, wedge resection, or transbronchial) performed on 70 patients referred for allo-HCT.

n = 70 patients

72%

Results

72%

biopsy pinpointed the exact cause in most transplant referrals

n = 70 patients

More results

Lung biopsy was accurate in 93% (n = 71/76) of procedures.

Lung biopsy led to a change in management in 51% of procedures (n = 39/76); effective (beneficial) in 79% of cases.

More results

Major complications occurred in 7% (n = 5/76) of procedures: four had a pneumothorax requiring chest tube drainage, and one had an intraprocedural cardiac arrest resulting in death.

“

Conclusion

In this highly selected cohort of patients referred for allo-HCT, lung biopsy provided a high diagnostic yield and often altered subsequent management. Integration of biopsy into diagnostic pathways may improve care in selected patients.

Lung Biopsies in Patients Referred for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Diagnostic Accuracy, Diagnostic Yield, and Clinical Utility.

Lung Biopsies in Patients Referred for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Diagnostic Accuracy, Diagnostic Yield, and Clinical Utility.

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