Pulmonary hemorrhage and acute renal failure as an initial presentation of multiple myeloma

Abstract

The combined clinical presentation of acute renal failure with pulmonary hemorrhage is known as pulmonary-renal syndrome. We describe a case of an 84-year-old woman who presented with acute renal failure and pulmonary hemorrhage at onset. Renal biopsy and bone marrow aspiration showed cast nephropathy and an abnormal increase in plasma cells, respectively. She was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and successfully treated with plasma exchange and corticosteroids. This case indicates that multiple myeloma should be considered as a cause of pulmonary-renal syndrome. © 2010 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.