Mediastinal fibrosis and radiofrequency radiation exposure: is there an association?

A 45-year-old officer, working for a period of 18 years at a military radar base, presented with progressive exertional dyspnea, dry cough, and hemoptysis. Subsequent evaluation demonstrated a left pulmonary artery occlusion as well as a left upper lobe bronchus stenosis, due to a dense fibrotic mediastinal mass. Histologically, this proved to be idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis (IMF). The development of IMF in a man exposed for a long period to radio-frequency radiation (RFR) is unique in the literature in English. The possible association of radiation exposure with IMF is discussed.