[Diagnostic value of chest x-ray film in recognizing complications following homologous lung transplantation in the dog].

The postoperative controls of the course after unilateral homologous lung transplantation were interpreted by chest X-ray films of 86 dogs. Radiomorphologic findings in the transplanted lung had developed 69% of the surviving animals in the end of the 5th and 80% on the 9th postoperative day. The descriptive phenomena of the chest X-ray films were compared with the post-mortem findings concerning their etiology. Phenomena caused by rejection, by operation, and in a third group by rejection and operation could be separated statistically as to the temporal occurrence. - In that manner the partial or total shadow of the graft is a sign of rejection after the 5th postoperative day and the pneumothorax is a sign for a postoperative complication before the 5th day, on the other hand a phenomenon for the rejection after this time. - The radiologic findings are restricted by imperfect position of the animals during the radiograph and by overshadowing bony parts of the thorax. The diagnostic value of the chest X-ray film is reduced much, because the differential diagnosis to the radiomorphologic findings requires additional diagnostic methods for instance scintiscanning, angiography, bronchospirometry, and biopsy.