Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Induced Angioedema Occurring after 8 Years of Taking Lisinopril: A Case Report

Abstract

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor induced angioedema (AIIA) can vary from mild to life-threatening. A vast majority of cases of AIIA occur within a month of starting an angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor (ACE-I).We present a 48-year-old male who presented with respiratory failure secondary to AIIA, after being on lisinopril for over 8 years. He had no previous complications secondary to lisinopril and aside from smoking, carried no risk factors for AIIA. Despite conventional treatment for angioedema, he had a prolonged stay in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). Following discharge, there hasn't been a recurrence of AIIA since the discontinuation of lisinopril. The case is intended to caution that AIIA remains possible even late into a chronic regimen of ACE-I. This is a risk that shouldn't be neglected, even with sparse risk factors or longer duration of ACE-I use. Conventional treatment is not currently in line with proposed etiologies of AIIA. We advocate for more clinical trials involving pharmaceutical agents targeting bradykinin accumulation.