1987 Volume 26 Issue 3 Pages 385-387
A 51-year-old man was admitted 3 hours after ingesting approximately 50 ml of mixture of paraquat and organophosphate insecticide. His arterial oxygen pressure fell progressively to 44.6 mmHg.Diagnosed was paraquat-induced interstitial pneumonia. No improvement was observed after treatment with corticosteroid. The pneumonia, however, resolved after irradiation of both lungs and arterial oxygen pressure showed marked improvement. Radiotherapy to the lungs should be considered only in patients who showed progressive deterioration of respiratory function.