Hyaline membrane disease
When do you suspect hyaline membrane disease?
- Premature babies within minutes of birth, manifesting severe reparatory distress.
What do you expect to see pathologically?
- Pathologically one can see atelectatic alveoli lined by hyaline membrane.
- Due to lack of surfactant
Case 1
28 week premature baby delivered. The child manifested within minutes of birth shallow, fast breathing and signs of respiratory distress with retraction of inter costal spaces and cyanosis.
CXR
- Diffuse white out of lungs.
- Child is intubated.
- You cannot recognize cardiac silhouette because both lungs are whited out (application of silhouette sign)
Follow up