[Clinics and Practice 2014; 4:653] [page 27]

The systemic vasculitides are multifocal dis-eases characterized by the presence of blood ves-sel inflammation in multiple organ systems. Their clinical presentation is variable extending from self-limited illness to critical complications including diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and glomerulonephritis. Alveolar hemorrhage is a life-threatening manifestation of pulmonary vasculi-tis that can rapidly progress into acute respirato-ry failure requiring ventilatory support. We pres-ent the case of a 74-year-old patient admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with severe hypoxic res-piratory failure and diffuse alveolar infiltrates in chest imaging that was later diagnosed as anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vas-culitis. The report highlights the importance of differentiate between alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory distress syndrome of other etiol-ogy because alveolar hemorrhage is reversible with prompt initiation of treatment