Tuberc Respir Dis.  2006 Nov;61(5):473-478. 10.4046/trd.2006.61.5.473.

Two Cases of Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury

• Lee KJ
• Kim HO
• Kim JH
• Ha ES
• Jung JY
• Lee SH
• Kim SJ
• Ju MK
• Lee EJ
• Kang EH
• Jung KH
• Lee SY
• Lee SY
• Kim JH
• Shin C
• Shim JJ
• In KH
• Kang KH
• Yoo SH

• KMID: 1970253
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2006.61.5.473

Abstract

Transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a serious, potentially life-threatening complication of transfusion therapy that is sometimes under diagnosed and under reported. Patients with TRALI present with dyspnea/respiratory distress and fever. The symptoms, signs and chest radiological findings in TRALI are similar to transfusion associated circulatory overload, which makes it is difficult to distinguish it from circulatory overload. Although the mortality rate in cases of TRALI is relatively low, TRALI is the third most common cause of fatal transfusion reactions next to ABO blood type incompatibility and hepatitis. Mild-to-moderate cases of TRALI may be misdiagnosed as volume overload. Recently, we encountered two cases where the patients suffered from dyspnea and fever after a transfusion. and review of the relevant literature.

Keyword

Blood transfusion; Pulmonary reaction; Acute lung injury; TRALI

MeSH Terms

Acute Lung Injury*
Blood Group Incompatibility
Blood Transfusion
Dyspnea
Fever
Hepatitis
Humans
Mortality
Thorax

Figure

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  Figure 1 In chest X-ray and chest CT, there were no differences from the lesion that were primary mass showed that the primary malignant mass in RUL, pleural metastasis and malignant effusion in right hemithorax, and small pleural effusion or pleural thickening in left hemithorax (Figure 1A, 1D). After transfusion, geographic patterned diffuse ground-glass opacities were newly noted on both lungs (Figure 1B, 1E), which were resolved after three days (Figure 1C, 1F).

• 

  Figure 2 Chest X-ray and chest CT showed that the primary malignant mass in LUL with atelectasis (Figure 2A) and mediastinal lymphadenopathy (Figure 2B, 2C). After transfusion, diffuse ground-glass opacities were noted on both entire lungs with some interlobular septal thickening along mild cardiomegaly (Figure 2D, 2E, 2F), which were resolved after seven days (Figure 2G, 2H, 2I)

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