[Treatment of bronchopleural fistula after lung transplantation with platelet-rich plasma: a case report and literature review].

Abstract

The bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a serious complication following pulmonary surgery, characterized by an abnormal conduit connecting various levels of the bronchi to the pleural cavity. Natural healing of such a condition is notoriously difficult, and traditional therapeutic approaches exhibit significant limitations. In recent years, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of chronic wounds. Consequently, we developed a protocol utilizing PRP for the management of BPF. This article presented a case study of a patient who was successfully treated for BPF using PRP therapy. We carefully observed their clinical data and conducted a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Literature searches were conducted using the keywords "platelet rich plasma" and "bronchopleural fistula" in CNKI, Wanfang Medical Network, and PubMed databases up to February 2024.Our literature review found three relevant articles; after careful assessment, two were kept due to their relevance, reporting on four cases in total. Combined with our current case, the cumulative number of documented cases for this condition was five. This extensive review showed that local injection of PRP via bronchoscopy was emerging as a safe and effective treatment modality worthy of further exploration for patients suffering from BPF.