Case 3-2007: A Boy with Respiratory Insufficiency

To the Editor: In the Case Record of a patient with respiratory insufficiency, presented by Boyer et al. (Jan. 25 issue), 1 the discussants do not mention a condition known to be associated with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis and to have implications for its management: celiac disease. The association is referred to as the Lane–Hamilton syndrome. 2 It is important to recognize this condition, since treatment of celiac disease with a gluten-free diet could lead to the remission of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis. 3 Although both celiac disease and idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis are believed to be immunologically mediated, the pathogenetic link between them is not . . .