fibrin and Hemoptysis

Pulmonary vascular inflammatory disorders may involve all components of the pulmonary vasculature, including capillaries. The principal histopathologic features of pulmonary capillaritis include capillary wall necrosis with infiltration by neutrophils, interstitial erythrocytes, and/or hemosiderin, and interalveolar septal capillary occlusion by fibrin thrombi. Immune complex deposition is variably present. Patients often present clinically with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, which is characterized by dyspnea and hemoptysis; diffuse, bilateral, alveolar infiltrates on chest radiograph; and anemia. Pulmonary capillaritis has been reported with variable frequency and severity as a manifestation of Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyarteritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Goodpasture's syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary renal syndrome, Behçet's syndrome, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, IgA nephropathy, antiphospholipid syndrome, progressive systemic sclerosis, and diphenylhydantoin use. In addition to history, physical examination, and routine laboratory studies, certain ancillary laboratory tests, such as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, antinuclear antibodies, and antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies, may help diagnose an underlying disease. Diagnosis of pulmonary capillaritis can be made by fiberoptic bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy, but thoracoscopic biopsy is often employed. Since many disorders can result in pulmonary capillaritis with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, it is crucial for clinicians and pathologists to work together when attempting to identify an underlying disease. Therapy depends on the disorder that gave rise to the pulmonary capillaritis and usually includes corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide or azathioprine. Since most diseases that result in pulmonary capillaritis are treated with immunosuppression, infection must be excluded aggressively.

Topics: Anemia; Bronchoscopy; Capillaries; Diagnosis, Differential; Dyspnea; Erythrocytes; Fibrin; Hemoptysis; Hemorrhage; Hemosiderin; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Lung; Lung Diseases; Necrosis; Neutrophils; Pulmonary Alveoli; Pulmonary Embolism; Thoracoscopy; Vasculitis

Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) is the treatment of choice in the majority of patients with severe hemoptysis. However, this procedure may be unavailable and even fail or be counterindicated in 4-13% of cases. In these cases, the efficacy of fibrinogen-thrombin (FT) instilled endoscopically as treatment for massive hemoptysis was assessed. Between August 1993 and February 1996 a prospective clinical study was performed. FT instillation was indicated in all patients with severe hemoptysis (> 150 ml/12 h) in whom BAE had failed, was counterindicated or not available. FT was instilled endoscopically. Patients were followed up until June 2001. Eleven of 101 patients (11%) with hemoptysis > 150 ml/12 h in whom BAE was not possible or proved ineffective were included. The severe hemoptysis was controlled immediately in all cases. During the follow-up period (mean: 39.4 months), early relapse of the severe hemoptysis occurred in two patients (18%) and a long-time relapse in one. Mean procedure duration was 3 min and no attributable complications were observed in any case. In conclusion, these results suggest that topical treatment with FT could be considered in the initial endoscopic evaluation of patients with severe hemoptysis while awaiting BAE or surgery, or as alternative treatment to arterial embolization when the latter is not available, has proved ineffective or is counterindicated.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bronchoscopy; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fibrin; Follow-Up Studies; Hemoptysis; Humans; Instillation, Drug; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Thrombin

Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Fibrin; Hemoptysis; Male; Nocardia asteroides; Nocardia Infections; Pneumonia

Of 35 newborn infants who died from an infection 19 had postmortem evidence of massive pulmonary hemorrhage. All but 1 of the 19 had evidence of antimortem formation of intravascular fibrin clots in lung tissue. Seventeen infants had low platelet counts. Of the 11 infants in whom coagulation studies were done, 8 had evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) during life. Vasculitis in the lungs, associated with fibrin clots and hemorrhages, was detected in two infants. It is postulated that sepsis is an important cause of hemorrhage in the newborn, probably as a result of the development of DIC.

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Escherichia coli Infections; Fibrin; Hemoptysis; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Klebsiella Infections; Lung; Male