Review

Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage

Authors: Manfred Baumgartner, MD, Rendell Ashton, MD

Abstract

Commentary


Bleeding into the alveolar spaces is the main characteristic of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) and is due to disruption of the alveolar-capillary basement membrane. This is caused by injury or inflammation of the arterioles, venules, or alveolar septal (alveolar wall or interstitial) capillaries. Hemoptysis is the usual presenting symptom, however it is not always present, even when hemorrhage is severe enough to be life threatening.1,

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References

1. Collard HR, Schwarz MI. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Clin Chest Med 2004;25:583.
 
2. Franks TJ, Koss MN. Pulmonary capillaritis. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2000;6:430.
 
3. Travis WD, Colby TV, Lombard C, et al. A clinicopathologic study of 34 cases of diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage with lung biopsy confirmation. Am J Surg Pathol 1990;14:1112.
 
4. Gómez-Puerta JA, Hernández-Rodríguez J, López-Soto A, et al. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides and respiratory disease. Chest 2009;136:1101.