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Case Reports
. 2024 Aug 20;16(8):e67308.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.67308. eCollection 2024 Aug.

Seized by Blood: A Case of Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema Presenting As Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage

Kaitlyn N Romero  1 , Anvit D Reddy  1 , Oshin Rai  2 , Abhinav Karan  1 , Azeem Rathore  1 , Rafik Jacob  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Seized by Blood: A Case of Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema Presenting As Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage

Kaitlyn N Romero et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) is a condition that is characterized by acute onset respiratory distress that uncommonly can cause diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). Our case is based on a 41-year-old female with a past medical history of seizure disorder who presented for shortness of breath and hemoptysis after a seizure. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the lungs revealed patchy ground glass subpleural airspace opacities bilaterally with increased secondary pulmonary lobule interstitial thickening. With concerns for DAH, a bronchoscopy was performed and revealed sequentially bloody aliquots. Infectious and autoimmune testing was negative. This case highlights a rare form of DAH arising from NPE.

Keywords: dah; hemoptysis; neurogenic pulmonary edema; non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema; seizure.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Chest X-ray: Bilateral alveolar opacities, with predominance in the right lung
Yellow arrows: Pulmonary alveolar opacity consistent with pulmonary edema, white arrows: peribronchial thickening consistent with pulmonary edema
Figure 2
Figure 2. Coronal view of the bilateral lung fields demonstrating diffuse patchy ground glass opacities
Yellow arrows: Outlining the extent of alveolar infiltrates
Figure 3
Figure 3. Bloody aliquots collected sequentially were listed as 1 - 4 with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) confirming diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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