1996 Volume 36 Issue 6 Pages 833-838
We report two cases of fatal bilateral radiation-related pneumonitis following limited thoracic irradiation for lung cancer. Diffuse bilateral infiltrates, which had appeared at first within the projected field of irradiation in both patients at doses of 54 Gy and 56 Gy, respectively, grew even worse and respiratory failure developed rapidly. Progressive hypoxemia did not respond to steroids. Other potential causes of lung injury, such as infections, lymphangitic tumor, and exacerbation of antecedent interstitial lung disease, were excluded by postmortem examination. Pathological findings in unirradiated volumes of lungs were consistent with hyaline membrane changes.
