Successful treatment of a rare complication of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in advanced age: pulmonary hemorrhage.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a form of systemic vasculitis involving both arterioles and capillaries. HSP frequently is seen in children between the ages of 2 and 11 years, though adults with this disease are occasionally encountered. Although it primarily is a disease of early childhood, it can occur at any age. The clinical manifestations include a classic tetrad: rash, arthralgias, abdominal pain and renal disease. However, it may affect almost any other bodily tissue, such as myocardium, lungs, ureter and nervous system. Pulmonary hemorrhage is a rare complication of HSP, which largely has been observed in adolescents and adults. Pulmonary hemorrhage in HSP is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We present the successful treatment of a 78-year-old woman with HSP complicated by pulmonary hemorrhage.