Which of the following would most likely be observed in the lung during an autopsy of a 2-week-old infant who died of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome?

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome is a disease of immaturity. The immature lung is not able to produce sufficient surfactant to prevent collapse of many alveoli. Severe diffuse damage to alveoli causes precipitation of protein (“hyaline membranes”) adjacent to many alveolar walls. Abundant neutrophils (choice A) are seen in pneumonia. Fibrosis (choice B) is a late, not early, feature of respiratory distress syndrome whereas the air spaces are collapsed, not enlarged (choice C), in this condition.