ORGANIZING DIFFUSE ALVEOLAR DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRESSIVE SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS

Diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) is a relatively nonspecific pattern of a cute lung injury that can be observed in a wide range of clinical circ umstances, DAD has often been recognized in association with various c onnective tissue diseases; however, to our knowledge, it has not been previously reported in the setting of progressive systemic sclerosis, Herein we describe two patients with established diagnoses of progress ive systemic sclerosis who had development of the acute respiratory di stress syndrome. Open-lung biopsy specimens from both patients showed a histologic pattern of DAD with no identifiable cause other than thei r progressive systemic sclerosis, Our results suggest that DAD should be added to the list of pleuropulmonary complications of progressive s ystemic sclerosis.