All that glitters is not gold - "Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies vasculitis presenting with acute respiratory distress syndrome mimic"

• Main Authors: Ravi Sharma (Author), Rajeev Kumar Bansal (Author), Lalit Bharadia (Author), Piyush Mathur (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2349-6592; 2455-7099; 10.4103/JPCC.JPCC_107_20
• Keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome; antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; diffuse alveolar hemorrhage; vasculitis; Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: Journal of Pediatric Critical Care, Vol 7, Iss 6, Pp 340-342 (2020)

The systemic vasculitides are multifocal diseases characterized by the presence of blood vessel inflammation in multiple organ systems. Their clinical presentation is variable extending from self-limited illness to critical complications including diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and glomerulonephritis. Alveolar hemorrhage is a life-threatening manifestation of pulmonary vasculitis that can rapidly progress into acute respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support. We present the case of a 13-year-old patient admitted to the intensive care unit with respiratory distress and diffuse alveolar infiltrates in chest imaging that was later diagnosed as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis. The report highlights the importance of differentiation between alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory distress syndrome of other etiology because alveolar hemorrhage is reversible with prompt initiation of treatment.