[A case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage occurring during the course of rheumatoid arthritis]

A 70-year-old woman, who underwent treatment with prednisolone and methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis, was admitted to our hospital due to rapidly progressive dyspnea. A chest CT scan showed diffuse ground-glass opacities and reticulonodular shadows in both lungs. Intubation was performed due to severe hypoxia. The color of the bronchoalveolar lavage, using three sequential aliquots, became progressively more reddish, suggesting alveolar hemorrhage. Based on this, we made a diagnosis of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have reported cases of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage associated with rheumatoid arthritis as an underlying disease. We consider that diffuse alveolar hemorrhage may occur as a complication of rheumatoid arthritis.