Pulmonary involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura.
OBJECTIVE
To describe pulmonary involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP).


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with HSP who were seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, during a 6-year period (January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2002). Patients with HSP and pulmonary involvement were identified through a review of clinical records, radiological studies, pulmonary function data, and lung biopsy findings.


RESULTS
We identified 124 patients with HSP during the study period; 72 (58.1%) were males. The median age was 15 years (range, 8 months to 81 years). Among the 124 patients with HSP, 3 (2.4%), all adults, had pulmonary involvement. Of these 3 patients, aged 20, 67, and 76 years, 2 were women. Pulmonary manifestations consisted of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) (2 patients) and usual interstitial pneumonia that improved with corticosteroid therapy (1 patient).


CONCLUSIONS
Pulmonary involvement in HSP is rare. It occurs more often in adults and commonly manifests as DAH and occasionally as usual interstitial pneumonia or interstitial fibrosis. Our cases and previously reported cases suggest that DAH is the most common manifestation of pulmonary involvement in HSP.
Nadrous
Hassan F
HF
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA.
Yu
Aimee C
AC
Specks
Ulrich
U
Ryu
Jay H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones