Coeliac disease as a cause of unusually severe anaemia in a young man with idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis (IPH) is characterized by a triad of recurrent episodes of alveolar haemorrhage, haemoptysis and iron deficiency anaemia. The combination of IPH and coeliac disease (CD) is extremely rare though both diseases may have a common pathogenetic link. As illustrated by our case CD should be specifically looked for in patients with IPH, especially those in whom the severity of anaemia is disproportionate to radiologic findings even in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms since both diseases may benefit from a gluten-free diet.