[Morphometric studies of the lung in shock of various etiologies]

The early schocklung-syndrome was investigated by morphological and morphometrical methods in order to discriminate the influence of different etiological factors on shock. Survival times up to 11 days were included in the investigation. We compared lungs from polytrauma with and without lung contusion and lungs after hypovolemic shock due to sharp violence. Cases of immediate death after brain damage served as controls. Apart from well known parameters of the shocklung--interstitial edema with increase of lung weight, intravasal sticking of granulocytes etc.--lymphangiektasy proved to be a reliable parameter to differentiate the temporal and etiological development of shock.