Diagnostic morphometry of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (shock lung).

In the pathogenesis of "shock lung", the morphometric analysis allows us to determine the "point of no return" when the exudative alveolitis turns into the life-threatening sclerosing form. In addition, we found that this "point of no return" is reached much earlier in septic than in traumatic shock. Our studies confirm that the term "shock lung" should not be simply substituted for "respiratory lung". Based on our morphometric methods, we conclude that shock-induced pulmonary fibrosis differs with regard to its functional pathogenesis from the non-shock-induced type of fibrosis.