A 27-year-old woman presenting with refractory hypoxaemic respiratory failure, haemoptysis and thyrotoxicosis: a rare manifestation of propylthiouracil therapy

Abstract

Pulmonary manifestations of hyperthyroidism not only include pulmonary hypertension and hydrostatic pulmonary oedema, but also treatment/drug-associated pulmonary diseases have to be considered as an exclusion diagnosis. A 27-year-old woman with hypoxaemic respiratory failure under an arterial-venous extra-corporeal membrane oxygenator (AV-ECMO) was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The patient had progressive dyspnoea with haemoptysis, palpitations and failure to thrive. The patient had Graves' disease treated previously with propylthiouracil (PTU). Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage is a non-specific syndrome characterised by evidence of diffuse alveolar damage, exclusion of infectious aetiology and progressively bloodier bronchoalveolar lavage (and/or 20% hemosiderin laden macrophages on cytological examination). PTU associated perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) vasculitis appears to be more common in younger female patients presenting with leukocytoclastic vasculitis, myalgias and arthralgias. The latter compared to non-drug associated ANCA vasculitis which are more common in older males with visceral involvement. PTU-induced ANCA vasculitis prognosis appears to be better compared to primary ANCA syndromes.