RADIOGRAPHIC MANIFESTATIONS OF BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION IN CHILDREN

Radiographically detectable complications in 35 children after bone marrow transplant are reviewed. These complications are most frequently due to infection, chemoradiotherapeutic toxicity, and graft versus host disease (a transplant rejection phenomenon peculiar to bone marrow transplant patients). The pulmonary complications within the first 2 months after bone marrow transplant are due to infection or noncardiac pulmonary edema, while those occurring after 2 months are secondary to a form of interstitial lung disease. Interstitial lung disease has a strong correlation with graft versus host disease. Extrapulmonary visceral complications include hepatosplenomegaly, nephromegaly, and hemorrhagic cystitis. These are due to graft versus host disease, radiation, and chemotherapeutic toxicities, respectively. Sinusitis, cerebral atrophy, and intracerebral hematomas are less frequent complications. Osteoporosis due to steroids is the single most important osseous complication.