Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a general term for damage to the

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of ...

s as a result of exposure to

ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...

. In general terms, such damage is divided into early inflammatory damage (''radiation pneumonitis'') and later complications of chronic

scarring A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a na ...

(''radiation fibrosis''). Pulmonary radiation injury most commonly occurs as a result of

radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Rad ...

administered to treat

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Symptoms and signs

The

s are a radiosensitive organ, and radiation

pneumonitis Pneumonitis describes general inflammation of lung tissue. Possible causative agents include radiation therapy of the chest, exposure to medications used during chemo-therapy, the inhalation of debris (e.g., animal dander), aspiration, herbicide ...

can occur leading to

pulmonary insufficiency Pulmonary (or pulmonic) insufficiency (or incompetence, or regurgitation) is a condition in which the pulmonary valve is incompetent and allows backflow from the pulmonary artery to the right ventricle of the heart during diastole. While a small ...

and death (100% after exposure to 50 gray of radiation), in a few months. Radiation

is characterized by: *Loss of

epithelial cell Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellul ...

s *

Edema Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels tight, the area ma ...

Inflammation Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...

*Occlusions airways, air sacs and blood vessels *

Fibrosis Fibrosis, also known as fibrotic scarring, is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of perma ...

Symptoms of radiation pneumonitis include:

fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three ph ...

, chest congestion,

shortness of breath Shortness of breath (SOB), also medically known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing di ...

, chest pain

Diagnosis

High resolution CT thorax

Treatment

“The Canadian Cancer society mentions these things that help to manage radiation, Your healthcare team may recommend medicines to treat radiation pneumonitis, such as: decongestants cough suppressants bronchodilators corticosteroids to reduce inflammation oxygen therapy You can also try the following to help manage symptoms: Rest if you feel short of breath. Drink more fluids and use a cool-air vaporizer or humidifier to keep the air moist. Use an extra pillow to raise your head and upper body while resting or sleeping. Avoid the outdoors on hot, humid days or very cold days (which can irritate the lungs). Wear light, loose-fitting tops and avoid anything tight around the neck, such as ties or shirt collars.“ For more information go to their website, as they have accurate informatio
“More Info”

References

External links

PubMed
{{Radiation poisoning Radiation health effects Radiation therapy Lung diseases due to external agents

Symptoms and signs

Diagnosis

Treatment

See also

References

Further reading

External links