Radiation-induced lung injury

Radiation-induced lung injury
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 J70.0-J70.1
ICD-9 508.0-508.1
MeSH D017564

Radiation-induced lung injury is a general term for damage to the lungs which occurs as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation. In general terms, such damage is divided into early inflammatory damage (radiation pneumonitis) and later complications of chronic scarring (radiation fibrosis). Radiation-induced lung injury most commonly occurs as a result of radiation therapy administered to treat cancer.[1]

The lungs are the most radiosensitive organ, and radiation pneumonitis can occur leading to pulmonary insufficiency and death (100% after exposure to 50 gray of radiation), in a few months.

Radiation pneumonitis is characterized by:[2]

References

  1. ^ Movsas B, Raffin TA, Epstein AH, Link CJ (April 1997). "Pulmonary radiation injury". Chest 111 (4): 1061–76. doi:10.1378/chest.111.4.1061. PMID 9106589. http://www.chestjournal.org/content/111/4/1061.full.pdf. 
  2. ^ Coggle, J. E.; Lindop, P. J. (1983). "Medical consequences of radiation following a global nuclear war". In Peterson, J.. The Aftermath : the human and ecological consequences of nuclear war. New York: Pantheon Books. pp. 60–71. ISBN 0394534468. 
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