Clinical and radiological characteristics of patients with cryptogenic haemoptysis: a retrospective multicentre study - 10/11/26

Doi : 10.1016/j.resmer.2026.101336

Ferhan Karataş ^1,^{^{#
Present address: Zeytinburnu- İstanbul},}^⁎ , Coşkun Doğan ^2,^{^{a
Phone number:+90 555 827 64 63.},}^{^{##
Present address: Kartal – İstanbul}} , Demet Turan ^3,^{^{b
Phone number: +90 505 638 43 06},}^{^{###
Present address: Zeytinburnu - İstanbul}} , Ülkü Aka Aktürk ^4,^{^{c
Phone number: +90 532 468 76 85},}^{^{####
Present address: Maltepe – İstanbul}} , Elif Torun Parmaksiz ^5,^{^{d
Phone number: +90 505 232 11 85},}^{^{#####
Present address: Sancaktepe- İstanbul}} , Şükran Mutlu ^6,^{^{e
Phone number: +90 544 633 14 93},}^{^{######
Present address: İzmit-Kocaeli}} , Efsun Gonca Uğur Chousein ^3,^{^{f
Phone number: +90 505 649 37 01},}^{^{#######
Present address: Zeytinburnu – İstanbul}} , Gönül Seven Yalçın ^2,^{^{g
Phone number:+ 90 216 280 33 33},}^{^{########
Present address: Kadıköy – İstanbul}} , Özlem Soğukpınar ^4,^{^{h
Phone number: +90 216 421 42 00},}^{^{#########
Present address: Maltepe – İstanbul}} , Makbule Özlem Akbay ^4,^{^{i
Phone number: +90 216 421 42 00},}^{^{##########
Present address: Maltepe – İstanbul}} , Salih Küçük ^6,^{^{j
Phone number: +90 542 630 89 68},}^{^{###########
Present address: İzmit-Kocaeli}} , Deniz Koçak ^2,^{^{k
Phone number:+90 216 280 33 33},}^{^{############
Present address: Kadıköy – İstanbul}} , Çağrı Kaan Aydoslu ^5,^{^{l
Phone number: +90 545 507 24 96},}^{^{#############
Present address: Sancaktepe- İstanbul}} , Berkan Özkan ^5,^{^{m
Phone number: +90 538 389 39 44},}^{^{##############
Present address: Sancaktepe- İstanbul}} , Alev Cinel Karataş ^7,^{^{n
Phone number: +90 533 542 89 47},}^{^{###############
Present address: Zeytinburnu - İstanbul}}

¹ Koç University Hospital, Department of Pulmonology, Istanbul, Turkey

² Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pulmonology, Istanbul, Turkey

³ University of Health Sciences Turkey, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pulmonology, İstanbul, Turkey

⁴ Sureyyapaşa Chest Disease and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital, Department of Pulmonology, Istanbul, Turkey

⁵ Health Sciences University, Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pulmonology, Istanbul, Türkiye

⁶ Kocaeli City Hospital, Department of Pulmonology, Kocaeli, Turkey

⁷ University of Health Sciences Turkiye, Hamidiye Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, Istanbul, Türkiye

^⁎ Corresponding author. Phone number: +90 506 648 47 02

Sous presse. Manuscrit accepté. Disponible en ligne depuis le Tuesday 10 November 2026

Abstract

Objective

To analyse the clinical, radiological, and bronchoscopic characteristics of patients with cryptogenic haemoptysis.

Methods

This retrospective multicentre cohort study was conducted across six hospitals in İstanbul and Kocaeli, Türkiye. Medical records of adult patients diagnosed with haemoptysis between January 2020 and December 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified as having cryptogenic haemoptysis only when no aetiology was identified after clinical assessment, chest imaging, and fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Post-discharge outcomes of patients with cryptogenic haemoptysis were evaluated through a structured retrospective review of medical records, follow-up imaging data, bronchoscopy reports when available, microbiological/pathological data when available, and subsequent healthcare visits. Selected baseline characteristics not used for aetiological classification were compared between the cryptogenic and non-cryptogenic haemoptysis groups.

Results

A total of 700 patients (mean age, 58.9 ± 15.6 years; 508 men [72.6%]) were included in the study. Of these cases, 85 (12.1%) were classified as having cryptogenic haemoptysis. Patients with cryptogenic haemoptysis were younger and had a longer interval from symptom onset to presentation (p < 0.05). No new malignancies were detected during the average 31.1 months follow-up period of patients with cryptogenic haemoptysis. Newly developed bronchiectasis was identified as the cause of haemoptysis in three cases.

Conclusion

Cryptogenic haemoptysis constitutes an important part of the general spectrum of haemoptysis. Benign causes, such as bronchiectasis, may also emerge during follow-up.

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Keywords : Bronchoscopy, bronchiectasis, cryptogenic haemoptysis