[Roentogenologic pathologic evaluation of allograft rejection in heart-lung transplantation--an experimental study in...

Experimental heart-lung transplantation was carried out in Japanese Monkey (Macaca fuscata). Twelve monkeys survived two to thirty-three days. Pathologic examination of the lung was performed at the time of open lung biopsy and autopsy. Postoperative chest roentogenogram was also studied in seven monkeys. In the early postoperative period, central cloudiness and enhancement of the interstitial change were observed, which started from the second or third postoperative day and reached their peak between the fifth and eighth postoperative day. Pathological study revealed no obvious monocyte infiltration in the lung of this stage. Two types of pulmonary rejection were observed, one is alveolar and vascular rejection. The other is vascular type of rejection, which started as early as in the twelfth postoperative day in a case. In the former, consolidation of the lung was noticed and useful in the diagnosis, but in the latter, no distinct change was observed in plain chest roentogenogram.