title: Case report acute respiratory failure after posterior cranial fossa surgery: report of two cases with unusual etiology.
abstract: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) occurred in two patients who had normal preoperative findings and intraoperative courses, early after posterior cranial fossa (PCF) surgery. In both instances, the postoperative pulmonary failure appeared to be due to an unknown pulmonary cancer, revealed by autopsy. The diagnosis of an asymptomatic pulmonary malignancy might be considered in the presence of ARF of unclear etiology in patients who undergo PCF surgery for removal of a brain tumor.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Anesthesiology, S. M. Battuti City Hospital, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazzon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Virgilio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexandre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paccagnella
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simini