Amiodarone-induced alveolar haemorrhage: a rare complication of a common medication.

Amiodarone pulmonary toxicity (APT) is a common and distinctive form of drug-induced lung injury. Several patterns have been described and the most common pattern of APT is interstitial pneumonitis. However, amiodarone-induced diffused alveolar haemorrhage is rarely reported. We describe a case of early onset of APT manifested by respiratory distress, haemoptysis, severe hypoxia and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates that was finally diagnosed with amiodarone-induced diffuse alveolar haemorrhage. High suspicion of APT in patients with these non-specific clinical symptoms is needed. Early recognition and treatment are imperative. Copyright (c) 2010 Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.