title: Acute respiratory failure as primary manifestation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis.
abstract: The systemic vasculitides are multifocal diseases characterized by the presence of blood vessel inflammation in multiple organ systems. Their clinical presentation is variable extending from self-limited illness to critical complications including diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and glomerulonephritis. Alveolar hemorrhage is a life-threatening manifestation of pulmonary vasculitis that can rapidly progress into acute respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support. We present the case of a 74-year-old patient admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with severe hypoxic respiratory failure and diffuse alveolar infiltrates in chest imaging that was later diagnosed as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis. The report highlights the importance of differentiate between alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory distress syndrome of other etiology because alveolar hemorrhage is reversible with prompt initiation of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evdokia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sourla
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bagalas
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Helias
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsioulis
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Asimina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paspala
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akritidou
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pataka
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fekete
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Kioumis
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stanopoulos
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G.H. "G. Papanikolaou" , Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitsiou
keywords: Respiratory failure; alveolar infiltrates; antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; vasculitis