A case of haemoptysis in a girl with Noonan syndrome

Abstract

Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant condition affecting 1 in 2 000 live births. It is characterised by distinctive physical features, congenital heart disease and multiple other comorbidities including haematological abnormalities. Haemoptysis is the expectoration of blood originating from the lower respiratory tract. It is uncommon in children but can be life threatening.Perfusion of the lower respiratory system arises from the pulmonary arterial circulation and the bronchial circulation, or bleeding may arise from either. In children, the most common causes of haemoptysis are respiratory tract infections, aspirated foreign bodies and bronchiectasis. We present a 7-year-old girl with recurrent haemoptysis.