[Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis. A cause of severe iron deficiency anemia in childhood].

The most common cause of anaemia in childhood is iron deficiency. Anaemia due to poor dietary iron is seen most often between 9-24 months of age in infants being fed with large amounts of milk during periods of high growth rate. After the age of two years one must look for other causes of iron deficiency, particularly blood loss. In the description of three cases of idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis, the problems of severe chronic anaemia in childhood are discussed. Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis is a rare disease in children, characterized by iron deficiency, anaemia and pulmonary symptoms. It has a high mortality, mostly due to acute pulmonary haemorrhage. However, early diagnosis is important, as some therapeutical regimens have succeeded in delaying the pulmonary haemorrhages and a few patients have possibly gained complete remission.