Chen Carol C, McManemy Julie K, Vece Timothy J, Cruz Andrea T
From the Sections of *Emergency Medicine, and †Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2016 Apr;32(4):237-9. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000501.
Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare disease characterized by the triad of hemoptysis, pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph, and anemia. Its diagnosis should be considered in any child presenting with moderate to severe anemia and failure to thrive of unclear etiology. Consideration of the differential diagnosis in such a child should include the review of both extravascular and intravascular causes of hemolysis. Systemic treatment of IPH with glucocorticoids has been shown to decrease morbidity, mortality, and disease progression to pulmonary fibrosis. Thus, diagnostic delays can impact prognosis. Here, we present a case of a 15-month-old boy with IPH who presented with anemia, jaundice, and failure to thrive, as well as a history of hemoptysis that was not initially elicited.
