Human pathology
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Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a ubiquitous entity, known to occur either idiopathically or in association with various pulmonary disorders. Histologically, it is characterized by myxomatous connective tissue plugs present in the lumen of bronchioles with extension into the alveoli. Its significance in lung allograft recipients is not well documented. ⋯ Forty of the total 115 lung transplant patients (34.8%) have developed bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) or chronic airway rejection. Twelve of these patients are from the study group, of which five have a biopsy proven histological diagnosis of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB), and the remaining seven patients have been diagnosed clinically by deteriorating lung function tests. The authors conclude that BOOP-LR in the lung transplant setting result from acute epithelial injury secondary to either allograft rejection or an ongoing infection and are not a component of, nor do they necessarily predispose to, chronic rejection.