PULMONARY HEMOSIDEROSIS IN MITRAL STENOSIS

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Abstract
Lungs of 45 patients who died with characteristic mitral stenosis were re-studied for deposition of hemosiderin. In 42% focal accummulations of hemosiderin-containing phagocytes formed distinct nodules in the lungs. In a further 31%, the lungs presented the more classical findings of brown induration. Hemosiderin may be released from the phagocytes within the lung and impregnate the elastica and capillary basement membranes of the alveolar septa. Fragmentation of elastica may result but fibrosis was not prominent. Such nodular aggregations, when sufficiently large, are opaque to X-ray and may appear as miliary densities in radiographs of the chest.