Pulmonary hemosiderosis secondary to mitral stenosis: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundPulmonary hemosiderosis is a rare disease that may be idiopathic or have a secondary etiology, such as mitral stenosis. The disease is a clinical and functional consequence of iron overload in the lungs in the form of hemosiderin. The diagnosis should be considered in patients with miliary nodules on chest tomography.Case presentationWe report a case of a 30-year-old man with severe mitral stenosis who presented with chest pain and dyspnea. High-resolution chest tomography showed bilateral centrilobular micronodules. The diagnosis of pulmonary hemosiderosis secondary to mitral stenosis was suggested by transbronchial biopsy.ConclusionThe diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis requires the exclusion of other etiologies of alveolar hemorrhage, including infections and vasculitis. One possible etiology is mitral stenosis.