Photodynamic therapy for treatment of recurrent hemoptysis secondary to pulmonary endometriosis: a case report

Pulmonary endometriosis (PEM) is rare, and drug therapy remains the primary treatment. However, patients with PEM frequently experience recurrent hemoptysis that is refractory to pharmacological intervention. We herein describe a patient with PEM who developed recurrent hemoptysis and was successfully treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) after drug withdrawal. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of recurrent hemoptysis despite repeated drug treatments for more than 1 year. Given that PDT targets specific tissues and destroys vascular endothelial cells through the cytotoxic effect produced by the photodynamic reaction of the photosensitizer, we considered that it may effectively control hemoptysis secondary to vascular morphological changes in PEM. Therefore, we performed PDT in this case, and the patient’s recurrent hemoptysis regressed. Approximately 2 years following PDT, the patient had recovered well and reported no discomfort. We recommend consideration of PDT as a treatment option for patients with PEM who develop recurrent hemoptysis after drug withdrawal. Notably, the patient’s lung lesions should be superficial and limited, and no contraindications should be present.