Amiodarone-induced Hemoptysis: A Rare Presentation of Amiodarone-induced Pulmonary Toxicity Occurs at a Low Dose

Abstract

Amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity (APT) is one of the most feared and underappreciated adverse effects of this commonly prescribed antiarrhythmic. APT has a variable presentation, among the rarest of these is amiodarone-induced diffuse alveolar hemorrhage with hemoptysis. Though previous cases confirmed with biopsy averaged a dose of 570 mg PO daily, APT can occur at any dose. Previous literature has suggested the importance of cumulative exposure to amiodarone rather than the patient’s actual dose. The presented case describes amiodarone-induced hemoptysis occurring at a dose of 200 mg PO daily for five years. Additionally described is the treatment regimen which managed a patient with metabolic syndrome and elevated A1c while addressing the recommended treatment of extended high-dose steroids for APT with complicated respiratory status. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, only two biopsied cases have been described at a dose this low. Furthermore, this case describes a more typical timeline for APT than those two cases.