1. Mixed Cryoglobulinemia Due to Chronic Hepatitis C with Severe Pulmonary Involvement
- Author
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Ryuji Suzuki, Daisuke Komukai, Terukuni Ideura, Hiroyuki Morita, Takeshi Hasegawa, Naoyuki Nakao, and Ashio Yoshimura
- Subjects
Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.drug_class ,Lung injury ,Kidney ,Gastroenterology ,hemic and lymphatic diseases ,Immunopathology ,Internal medicine ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged ,Respiratory Distress Syndrome ,business.industry ,Respiratory disease ,Glomerulonephritis ,General Medicine ,Hepatitis C ,Hepatitis C, Chronic ,medicine.disease ,Cryoglobulinemia ,Corticosteroid ,Female ,business ,Kidney disease - Abstract
Pulmonary involvement in cryoglobulinemia usually is mild. We present a rare case of severe lung involvement in mixed cryoglobulinemia. A 73-year-old woman with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis was admitted. Dyspnea appeared suddenly two days later. She received the diagnosis of acute lung injury according to the concept proposed by the American-European Consensus Conference. Management required corticosteroid pulse therapy and plasma exchange. This case is the first description of successful early and long-term management of severe lung involvement observed in cryoglobulinemia. Although she has been free of chest symptoms for seven months, further follow-up may be necessary to assess the potential danger of relapse.
- Published
- 2003