High-resolution CT findings of pulmonary tuberculosis in liver transplant patients

To assess the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in liver transplant patients diagnosed with pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

The HRCT findings from 19 patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis infection after liver transplantation were reviewed. The patients included were 12 men and seven women, age range 23-65 years; mean age 57 years. The diagnosis was established with Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection in bronchoalveolar lavage, sputum, or biopsy. HRCT images were reviewed independently by two observers who reached a consensus decision. The HRCT findings were classified as (1) miliary nodules; (2) cavitation and centrilobular tree-in-bud nodules; (3) ground-glass attenuation and consolidation; and (4) mediastinal lymph node enlargement.

The time between the transplantation and the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis ranged from 7 to 153 days with an average of 79 days. The main HRCT pattern was cavitation and centrilobular tree-in-bud nodules (79%) followed by mediastinal lymph node enlargement (10.4%), ground-glass attenuation or consolidation (5.2%) and miliary nodules (5.2%). None of the patients presented pleural effusion. The cavitation and centrilobular tree-in-bud nodules pattern had upper lobe predominance, and ground-glass attenuation and consolidation pattern had middle lobe/lingular segment predominance.

The main HRCT pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis in liver transplant patients was cavitation and centrilobular tree-in-bud nodules.