[A case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by splenic infarction].

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most severe lung injury caused by many pathologic states. We treated a patient who suffered from ARDS caused by splenic infarction. A 75-year-old patient had a gastric cancer with multiple lung and liver metastasis. During anti-cancer therapy, she developed a high fever (above 39 degrees C) and a chest and an abdominal CT scan revealed splenic infarction. Hypoxia progressed gradually and she was transferred to ICU with tracheal intubation. Mechanical ventilation was performed according to open lung strategy, but she did not recover. On ICU day 3, the bilateral infiltration shadow on her chest X-ray was pointed out, and she had a low central venous pressure. We diagnosed her ARDS. The administration of methylprednisolone was started according to Meduri's report. Hypoxia was improved gradually and on ICU day 7, she was weaned from mechanical ventilation, and extubated. On ICU day 8, she was returned to her ward without ventilatory support.