Early Initiation of Steroid-sparing Drugs in Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemosiderosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is conventionally treated with steroids, prolonged usage of which maybe deleterious and disease often recurs on tapering. We initiated hydroxy-chloroquine and azathioprine early in treatment along with steroids in seven children with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis, and observed that early introduction of second line immunosuppressants helped in reducing disease flare and steroid toxicity without serious adverse effects.