The decline and early fall of neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage

Seven years' experience (1965-1972) with neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage at the University of Colorado was reviewed. Pulmonary hemorrhage still occurs frequently as a preterminal event in hyaline membrane disease. As an isolated "pure" entity, however, pulmonary hemorrhage has shown a marked decline. This phenomenon is probably related to advances in neonatal intensive care. The radiographic pattern of "pure" pulmonary hemorrhage in the newborn is most commonly a diffuse alveolar infiltrate. Since pure hemorrhage is now an uncommon entity, the radiologist can reasonably suggest this diagnosis on rare occasions only, in the clinical setting of profound hypoxia.