[Hamman-Rich syndrome]

An observation of Hamman-Rich syndrome in a man of 47 with an acute, rapidly progressive course due to an immunoconflict situation in the lungs is presented. This situation is characterized by marked changes of the microcirculatory bed of interalveolar septae, with increased permeability, productive-desquamative alveolitis and formation of hyalin membranes, lymphoid-macrophage cell reaction of diffuse fibrosis. The peculiar features of this case include not only the involvement of the lungs but also the occurrence of generalized productive vasculitis with the involvement of the myocardium and the kidneys which, alongside with considerable immune alterations in the spleen and lymph nodes, confirm the hypothesis of the systemic autoaggression nature of this disease.