ABSTRACT
Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis, one of the "pneumo-anemic" syndroms is a very rare disease of unknown etiology and pathogeny. The study of three personal cases associating both an anemic and respiratory syndrom and the study of the literature have led to the description of the clinical manifestations of the disease. Particular attention should be paid to monosymptomatic cases. The presence of macrophages loaded with iron in bronchial secretions, and pulmonary sequestration of radioactive iron [iron 59], revealed by isotopic exploration should be enough to lead to the diagnosis; however a histo-pathological study of pulmonary biopsy, particularly after thoracotomy, seems to be necessary both for a better diagnosis and prognosis. The aetiopathogeny of this affection seems to depend from an immunological mechanism, which is not actually well known. Treatment by corticoids and/or immunosupressive drugs is controversed, and generally the disease evolves towards death within four years usually