Interstitial pneumonia and nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver as initial manifestations of polyarteritis nodosa

Intern Med. 2012;51(6):635-8. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.51.5638. Epub 2012 Mar 15.

Abstract

A 65-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of progressive dyspnea. A laboratory examination and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) revealed that he had interstitial pneumonia (IP) with liver dysfunction. Myeloperoxidase-ANCA (MPO-ANCA) was negative. Although his respiratory condition had become stable after initiation of steroid therapy, liver dysfunction had worsened with progressive portal hypertension. He died of hepatic insufficiency about three years after the first medical examination. Autopsy showed that he had vasculitis of medium and small blood vessels of the spleen, lungs, and liver. The final diagnosis was classical polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Microscopically, non-specific interstitial pneumonia was identified in the autopsied lung. The pathological findings of the liver were consistent with nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH). We report a case of PAN with IP and NRH preceding findings of systemic vasculitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cyclosporine / therapeutic use
  • Disease Progression
  • Dyspnea / etiology
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Hyperplasia
  • Hypertension, Portal / etiology
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Liver Failure / etiology
  • Liver Regeneration*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / drug therapy
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / etiology*
  • Male
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa / complications*
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa / diagnosis
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa / pathology
  • Prednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Cyclosporine
  • Prednisolone