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Adult respiratory distress syndrome after limited thoracic radiotherapy
Author(s) -
Fulkerson William J.,
McLendon Roger E.,
Prosnitz Leonard R.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19860515)57:10<1941::aid-cncr2820571009>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - medicine , diffuse alveolar damage , respiratory distress , ards , respiratory failure , autopsy , lung , pulmonary fibrosis , pathology , radiation therapy , hypoxemia , respiratory system , pulmonary edema , fibrosis , surgery , acute respiratory distress
The authors report three patients who developed fatal respiratory failure after limited or unilateral thoracic radiation therapy for neoplasms. The respiratory failure was characteristic of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with refractory hypoxemia and diffuse bilateral infiltrates including areas of lung well outside of the radiation ports. No patient received drugs known to cause lung injury, and cardiogenic edema and infections were excluded. At autopsy the lungs exhibited interstitial fibrosis, Type II alveolar cell hyperplasia, inflammatory infiltrates, and squamous metaplasia. The etiology of the pulmonary injury is unclear.