Pre-transplant screening chest CT is beneficial for identifying abnormalities before allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant
(alloHSCT), according to a study published in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Mohammad Alhomoud, MD, and colleagues characterized the prevalence of abnormalities on chest CT and explored their impact on alloHSCT eligibility and outcomes
post-transplant in a retrospective analysis of 511 adult patients. Among total patients, 39% had abnormal screening chest CT. The
most frequently detected abnormalities included pulmonary nodule, consolidation, ground-glass opacification, bronchitis and bronchiolitis, pleural effusions, and new primary cancer (found in 35%, 19%, 15%, 11%, 6%, and 2%, respectively). In 48% of patients with abnormal chest CT, chest X-ray detected abnormalities. Of patients with abnormal chest CT, 49% underwent further assessment and/or intervention before transplant, with pulmonary consultation and infectious diseases consultation the most common work-ups (32% and 24%, respectively). Compared with those with normal chest CT, patients with abnormal chest CT had significantly worse overall survival, non-relapse mortality, and pulmonary-related death.
