Pulmonary Findings After Surgery, Radiotherapy, and Chemotherapy

Abstract

In the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of patients who underwent lung surgery and/or radio-chemotherapy, imaging plays a key role in assessing the efficacy of therapy and identifying early or late complications. A CXR is mainly indicated for the early post-surgical evaluation to identify the presence of procedure-related pathological findings, such as pleural effusion, pneumothorax, or pneumonia; it also allows to evaluate the position of intrathoracic devices (drainages, vascular catheters, etc.). Instead, CT is preferred for the assessment of complex peri- and post-procedural complications and for the evaluation of the response to surgery or radio-chemotherapy. For a correct diagnosis, the radiologist has to have a vast technical knowledge of the surgical procedures, the mechanisms of action of the main chemotherapeutic drugs, and the modern applications of radiotherapy. Moreover, one has to be able to distinguish the “normal” radiological findings after these procedures from their complications.