Acute interstitial pneumonia or Hamman-Rich syndrome. A case report

Acute interstitial pneumonia, also known as Hamman-Rich syndrome, is the least common idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, with a very rapid progression and a mortality rate above 50%. It is usually confused with the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and because of this, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ARDS in adult patients with no history of lung disease and no clear risk factors for ARDS. A case of acute interstitial pneumonia is presented in a previously healthy adult of 38 years, who developed acute respiratory failure with his subsequent death in the intensive care unit. The importance of taking this entity into account is emphasised when the physician is faced with a patient entering the intensive care unit due to acute respiratory failure of unclear origin.