The role of post-transplantation cyclosporine treatment in the course of cystic fibrosis pulmonary disease: a case report

Abstract

We describe the case of a 44-year-old female cystic fibrosis (CF) patient (R334W/852del22) who presented symptoms of prolonged acute respiratory infections and recurrent episodes of pneumonia. Computed tomography (CT) scan images of the chest showed that the patient presented airway and parenchymal changes throughout both lungs. She also had decreased lung function performances. In March 2004, she underwent live-related donor renal transplant and started an immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine. CT scan images taken respectively 2 and 6 years after transplantation documented a progressive significant size reduction of structural lung damages in both lungs and clinical signs and symptoms of improvements.

Keywords::

• Bronchiectasis
• cystic fibrosis
• cyclosporine
• lung inflammation
• transplantation

Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Francesco De Robertis, an eminent pediatric pulmonologist, prematurely deceased on August 1st, 2010. We are also thankful to Dr. Martinelli Amelia for technical help in CT scan interpretation.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.