HEMOPTYSIS - A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF 105 PATIENTS EXAMINED CONSECUTIVELY ON A THORACIC SURGICAL SERVICE

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Abstract
One hundred and five patients examined consecutively who had hemoptysis as a presenting symptom have been reviewed. The severity of a given episode of hemoptysis is of little significance in establishing the nature of the underlying disease. In the group over forty years, bronchogenic carcinoma is the first diagnosis to be excluded. Approximately 15% of all patients presenting with hemoptysis may be considered "idiopathic" no definite diagnosis being reached after adequate study and follow-up observation. A favorable prognosis is indicated in this group in the absence of persistent or recurrent bleeding. The importance of bronchoscopy in the management of hemoptysis is confirmed. Localization of the bleeding site was possible and no ill effects resulted in 86% of the patients examined by bronchoscopy during active hemorrhage. An unusually high yield of malignancies (85%) was disclosed by cytologic examination of the sputum in cases of bronchogenic carcinoma with associated hemoptysis. The number of false positives was not increased correspondingly. The great majority of patients with hemoptysis require little or no special therapy for their bleeding per se; however, in an occasional instance, emergency measures including pulmonary resection or collapse therapy must be instituted to save life.
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