[Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage in pulmonary vasculitis]

Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhages may occur in pulmonary vasculites, including Wegener disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, Behçet disease, and other systemic vasculites. The pulmonary bleeding is often the first manifestation of the disease and frequently denotes a severe form. The etiologic diagnosis can be established only by performing a surgical lung biopsy, which is often a difficult decision. Leukoclastic capillaritis of the alveolar septa is the common features shared by all the vasculites responsible for pulmonary hemorrhage.