[Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage: review of nine cases]

Nine cases of diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage (DPH) diagnosed in our hospital during the past eight years are reviewed. We assess the clinical, diagnostic, etiologic and evolutive characteristics of all these cases and, thus, of such entity in our environment. The nine patients had anemia, hemoptysis and transient pulmonary infiltrations. Renal affectation was observed in seven patients. Based on clinical and laboratory data, supplementary explorations and immunological and histological studies, the following etiologic diagnosis were established: idiopathic extracapillary glomerulonephritis (three cases), idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (two cases), Wegener's granulomatosis (one case), unclassifiable systemic necrosant vasculitis or overlapping syndrome (two cases). In one patient, it was not possible to establish the etiology. Global mortality was 44.4% (four patients); two of them died during the course of the initial massive hemoptysis (not controlled, as in the other patients, with steroids) and two other patients died due to late complications. In this series, none of the patients developed a disease associated to antibodies against the basal membrane. The application of a severe diagnostic systematic has been a key factor for the management of these patients.