Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage as a rare complication of antiphospholipid syndrome

Ishith Seth; Shyam Prakaash Bhagavata Srinivasan; Gabriella Bulloch; Dong Seok Yi; Anthony Frankel; Kelvin Hsu; Freda Passam; Roger Garsia; Tamera J Corte

doi:10.1002/rcr2.948

Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage as a rare complication of antiphospholipid syndrome

Respirol Case Rep. 2022 Apr 5;10(5):e0948. doi: 10.1002/rcr2.948. eCollection 2022 May.

Authors

Ishith Seth¹, Shyam Prakaash Bhagavata Srinivasan¹, Gabriella Bulloch¹, Dong Seok Yi¹, Anthony Frankel^{2

3}, Kelvin Hsu^{2

3}, Freda Passam^{4

5}, Roger Garsia^{4

5}, Tamera J Corte^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Murrumbidgee Local Health District Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia.
² Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital South Western Sydney Local Health District Sydney New South Wales Australia.
³ South Western Sydney Clinical School University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia.
⁴ Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney Local Health District Sydney New South Wales Australia.
⁵ Sydney Medical School University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia.

Abstract

Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) is a rare complication of antiphospholipid syndrome. With a mortality rate of 46%, early diagnosis and management remain an ongoing challenge. Case reports are limited, and management guidelines are not yet definitive. In this case report, we present a 43-year-old male with DAH who required high-dose oral steroids, intravenous methylprednisolone cyclophosphamide and rituximab over 18 months to control life-threatening episodes of pulmonary bleeding.

Keywords: APS; antiphospholipid antibodies; antiphospholipid syndrome; complication; diffuse alveolar haemorrhage; rare.

Publication types

Case Reports