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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
06:22
Surfactant Depletion Combined with Injurious Ventilation Results in a Reproducible Model of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Published on: April 7, 2021
["Malignant" ARDS].
S K Metzelder1, C Reinke, E M Walthers
1Klinik für Innere Medizin mit Schwerpunkt Hämatologie, Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg, Philipps-Universität Marburg.
Der Internist
|June 30, 2009
Summary
Malignant diseases like leukemia and lung cancer can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The diagnostic workup for respiratory failure should consider these and other inflammatory lung conditions.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pulmonology
- Oncology
Background:
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common condition in critically ill patients.
- Various underlying causes can lead to ARDS.
- Malignant diseases are increasingly recognized as potential causes of respiratory failure.
Observation:
- Two case reports detail patients experiencing respiratory failure due to malignant conditions.
- One patient had acute myeloid leukemia M5 (FAB).
- The other patient was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.
Findings:
- Malignant diseases can present as ARDS, mimicking typical causes.
- Beyond solid cancers and lymphomas, acute inflammatory lung diseases can also manifest as ARDS.
- These include acute interstitial pneumonitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Implications:
- The differential diagnosis for ARDS should expand to include specific hematologic and oncologic conditions.
- Diagnostic evaluation for unexplained respiratory failure must consider a broad range of serious underlying diseases.
- Early identification of these conditions is crucial for appropriate patient management and treatment.
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