Pathological findings and pulmonary dysfunction after acute respiratory distress syndrome for 5 years

We report the pathological findings of the lung after acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and pulmonary function tests during five years of follow-up. A 39-year-old woman, treated for acute myelogenous leukemia, developed ARDS. She recovered from ARDS but suffered from pulmonary aspergillosis. Her aspergilloma was removed surgically. Her lung function tests and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DL(CO)) improved but diffusion impairment remained five years after recovery. Pathological examination of the resected material showed sclerosis in lobular septa and scattered fibrosis in alveolar ducts except for the aspergillosis. These fibrotic changes may be causally associated with her loss of DL(CO).