Early Initiation of Steroid-sparing Drugs in Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemosiderosis

Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is conventionally treated withsteroids, prolonged usage of which maybe deleterious anddisease often recurs on tapering. We initiated hydroxy-chloroquine and azathioprine early in treatment along withsteroids in seven children with idiopathic pulmonaryhemosiderosis, and observed that early introduction of secondline immunosuppressants helped in reducing disease flare andsteroid toxicity without serious adverse effects.