Pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage in patients with rheumatic diseases in Korea

Pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage (PAH) is a rare and often fatal presenting feature of rheumatic diseases, with high mortality rate ranging from 40% to 90%. This study was undertaken to review the clinical manifestations, disease course, prognosis, and treatment of PAH in rheumatic diseases in Korea. A retrospective analysis was performed from October 1995 to March 1999 at the Samsung Medical Center. Ten cases were diagnosed as having pulmonary hemorrhage with rheumatic diseases that comprised the following: 6 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 3 microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and 1 mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). In 80% of the patients in the present series, PAH was the first clinical manifestation of rheumatic diseases. The most consistent systemic manifestation occurring in conjunction with PAH was renal involvement (80%). The overall patient mortality rate was 50% (5/10) in the current series. Our study suggests that PAH often occurs as the first clinical manifestation of rheumatic diseases and needs urgent medical treatment including plasmapheresis in addition to cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone.