Major causes of HEMOPTYSIS

Rigomo Team

Sun, 05 Oct 2025

In the hospital setting, the foremost common causes of hemoptysis symptoms are acute bronchitis, pneumonia, T.B., and carcinoma. The diagnosis is made and the underlying etiology  of hemoptysis is identified

·        INFECTION

Infection is the commonest reason for hemoptysis, accounting for 60 to 70% of cases. The infection causes superficial membrane inflammation and edema which may cause the rupture of the superficial blood vessels. The invasive microorganism (e.g., staph aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) or fungi (e.g., Aspergillus species) are the foremost common infectious causes of hemoptysis. Viral infections can also cause severe hemoptysis.  HIV infection predisposes patients to many conditions which can lead to coughing up blood.

·        CANCER

Primary respiratory organ cancers account for 23% of cases of hemoptysis in the United States. Bronchogenic carcinoma is the common carcinoma accountable for hemoptysis in 5 to 54% of all cases. Bleeding from malignant or benign tumors can occur secondary to superficial membrane invasion, erosion into blood vessels, or extensive tracheal involvement.

Breast, renal, and colon cancers have a predilection for respiratory organ metastasis but the pathological process of lung metastasis seldom leads to hemoptysis. Certain lesions might catch a secondary infection, leading to hemoptysis.

·        IDIOPATHIC

Idiopathic is a diagnosis of exclusion. In 7 to 34% of patients with hemoptysis, no distinctive cause is found after careful analysis. The prognosis for idiopathic hemoptysis is nice, and also the majority of patients have a resolution of this symptom within 6 months of diagnosis. However, results from one study found that an increased incidence of carcinoma in smokers older than forty years with this symptom must prompt these patients might warrant immediate quitting.

HEMOPTYSIS IN kids

The major reason for this symptom in kids is respiratory tract infection. The second commonest cause is foreign body aspiration, with most cases occurring in kids younger than four years. Another necessary cause is bronchiectasis, which frequently is secondary to mucoviscidosis. Primary phthisis may be a rare cause. Though uncommon, trauma is another possible cause. Blunt-force trauma might end in this symptom secondary to contusion and hemorrhage. Injury caused by suffocation, deliberate or accidental could also lead to hemoptysis.