Open AccessAcute pulmonary embolism in a child with ANCA-negative idiopathic pulmonary capillaritis
Author(s) -
Ali Alsuheel Asseri,
Yi Xin Zeng,
Cori Daines
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
saudi medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1658-3175
pISSN - 0379-5284
DOI - 10.15537/smj.2019.6.24210
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary embolism , prednisolone , azathioprine , hydroxychloroquine , thrombus , lung , diffuse alveolar hemorrhage , radiology , surgery , pathology , disease , covid-19 , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is an uncommon and often fatal condition in children that is characterized by distinct histopathological etiologies. Herein, we discuss the case of an 11-year-old girl who presented with acute worsening of hypoxia and left-sided chest pain. The patient had lung biopsy-proven idiopathic pulmonary capillaritis and was being treated with prednisolone every alternate day, azathioprine, and hydroxychloroquine. A contrast-computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest showed an acute left lower-lobe pulmonary embolism. Negative results were obtained on a test for thrombophilia. In children, pulmonary embolism with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-negative idiopathic pulmonary capillaritis is a rare clinical condition. The exact cause of thrombus formation in this case is unknown; however, obesity, immobility, and chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy probably played a role.