The authors report two cases of apparent adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
following limited thoracic irradiation for lung cancer. Respiratory failure followed rapidly after
irradiation with diffuse bilateral infiltrates, both in and out of the irradiated volume along with
progressive hypoxemia unresponsive to oxygen management. Other potential causes of
lung injury such as lymphangitic tumor, cardiac failure, and infections were excluded by both
premortem and postmortem examination. Autopsy findings in both irradiated and …