ABSTRACT
A 27-year-old woman presented to the emergency department following an episode of haemoptysis earlier that day. The patient described a 3–4 day history of general malaise and weakness with frequent episodes of shortness of breath on exertion. She was coughing while walking upstairs at work and estimated that she produced approximately 10 mL of frank haemoptysis. She denied previous episodes of haemoptysis or abnormal bleeding when brushing her teeth, opening her bowels or passing urine. She had no past medical history and took no prescribed or herbal medications. She worked as a teaching assistant at an inner-city school and lived alone. She had never smoked. She was of Pakistani origin and travelled to Pakistan every summer for several weeks.
