A patient with hemoptysis and renal failure

Abstract

Pulmonary-renal syndrome is a medical emergency; etiology of which has broad differential diagnosis. Delay in both diagnosis and initiation of management may result in end-organ damage. Management decisions may have to be empiric till a rapid, definitive tissue diagnosis is established. We present such a case where prompt recognition and immediate treatment was initiated, although the patient sustained irreversible end-organ damage. The case also highlights the need to interpret the kidney biopsy data (namely, immunofluroscence findings) in the context of clinical presentation. © 2011 Pranavkumar Dalal et al.