Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage as a fatal complication of Schönlein–Henoch purpura

Abstract

We report a case of a 69-year-old man with Schönlein-Henoch purpura who developed diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage. He complained of dyspnea and hemoptysis while he was treated with steroids for gastroenteropathy associated with Schönlein-Henoch purpura. The drop in his hemoglobin levels and diffuse ground-glass opacity at all levels of the lung fields on chest computed tomography were a significant clue to diagnosis. Despite pulse therapy, no clinical improvement of the lung was achieved, and he died on the 36th day after the admission. Although the combination of the corticosteroid and immunosuppressive agents is normally recommended, diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage could become a fatal complication in elderly Schönlein-Henoch patients.