title: Prognosis in adult patients with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) of unknown cause has been characterized as idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH). IPH is a rare disease, which has a high prevalence in children and shows a poor prognosis. However, in adults, since there are few reports about collective cases, the details remain to be determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2003 and June 2008, consecutive adult patients strictly defined as unknown cause DAH by chest images, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, autoantibody testing, and exclusion of systemic disease were enrolled. We investigated the clinical characterization and course of the enrolled patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine patients were included. All patients were middle-aged men (56.1 ± 4.2 year-old) with sudden onset. They did not present with anemia (the hemoglobin level was 13.9 ± 0.5 g/dL) despite the quantity of bleeding. In bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid analysis, the cell count was increased (7.6 ± 1.6×10(5) cells/mL) with neutorophilia (33.3 ± 13.3%). The illness resolved within 2 weeks with or without corticosteroid therapy. All of the patients were alive without recurrence during the follow-up period (45.2 ± 6.2 months) after diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult IPH patients showed good prognosis. However, the present patients are clinically slightly different from the previously characterized IPH.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tenryu Hospital, National Hospital Organization, Japan. hirosei@za.tnc.ne.jp
authors: Seiichi
authors: S
authors: Miwa
authors: Shiro
authors: S
authors: Imokawa
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Kato
authors: Kyotaro
authors: K
authors: Ide
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Uchiyama
authors: Koushi
authors: K
authors: Yokomura
authors: Takafumi
authors: T
authors: Suda
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Shirai
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Hayakawa
authors: Kingo
authors: K
authors: Chida
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006486:Hemosiderosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D000097545:Hemosiderosis, Pulmonary
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones