Postcoital hemoptysis: Our experience and review of the literature

A 49-Year-Old Man With Postcoital Hemoptysis

CASE PRESENTATION

A 49-year-old man was seen in the pulmonary clinic for evaluation of postcoital hemoptysis. His medical history was significant for nonischemic cardiomyopathy and hypertension. He had red-yellow sputum with streaks of blood associated with dyspnea and wheezing for 5 years. He noted his symptoms occurred only with sexual intercourse while horizontal, but not while upright. He did not have any symptoms with other exertional activities, including heavy weight lifting. He did not have other symptoms. He had a remote history of less than 10 pack years of smoking. He had no personal or family history of pulmonary disease. He worked as a construction worker in the past, and currently as a driver. He had been incarcerated in the past but denied direct contact with TB. He was born in the United States, had always lived in the Northeastern region, and denied international travel. He had no constitutional symptoms or symptoms concerning for malignancy or autoimmune disease, including joint or skin complaints. His medications included aspirin, atorvastatin, carvedilol, furosemide, lisinopril, and spironolactone, and he endorsed adherence. He denied herbal or over-the-counter drugs use and denied illicit drug use.

Postcoital haemoptysis: a case report and a review of the literature

Haemoptysis is rarely reported following coitus, and cardiac decompensation has been mostly implicated in the aetiology. We present a 53-year-old Nigerian, known hypertensive diabetic woman with background ischaemic heart disease who presented with postcoital haemoptysis of one-year duration. Echocardiography revealed combined ischaemic and mitral valvular heart disease, probably of rheumatic aetiology. There has been no previous report in an African population. This case illustrates the need to rule out coitus as a rare but potential cause of haemoptysis in middle aged patients with underlying cardiac pathologies and the need for an extensive cardiac workup in a population with predominantly pulmonary causes of haemoptysis.