Survival of an infant with pulmonary hypoplasia treated with dexamethasone.

Pulmonary hypoplasia is lethal in its most severe form; in less severe cases the clinical course is protracted, usually resulting in chronic lung disease. A case of unexpected survival of an infant with clinical and radiologic evidence of pulmonary hypoplasia, in whom dexamethasone was administered, is presented. Possible mechanisms of dexamethasone's influence on outcome are discussed.