Skip to main content

Approach to the Patient with Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Clinical Decisions in Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation
  • 2401 Accesses

Abstract

Mr. A, a 68-year-old male with no history of renal disease, was evaluated for upper respiratory symptoms including cough and postnasal drip. A 10-day course of amoxicillin was prescribed for presumed sinusitis. After 2 weeks, his symptoms did not improve, and levofloxacin was started. One month after the initial presentation, he presented to the emergency department with progressive dyspnea, abdominal pain, and nausea. Serum creatinine level is 7.1 mg/dL (1 month ago, serum creatinine was 1.0 mg/dL), and he is admitted to the hospital for urgent evaluation. On exam, he is afebrile, and blood pressure is 162/90 mmHg. Scattered bilateral pulmonary crackles were noted on exam, and chest X-ray revealed bilateral nodular pulmonary infiltrates. Urinalysis showed 3+ protein with renal epithelial cells, granular casts, 50 red blood cells (RBCs) per high power field (HPF) with many dysmorphic RBCs, and RBC casts on microscopy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 179.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 229.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Berden AE, Ferrario F, Hagen EC, et al. Histopathologic classification of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010;21(10):1628–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Couser W. Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis: classification, pathogenetic mechanisms, and therapy. Am J Kidney Dis. 1988;11(6):449–64.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Jennette JC, Falk RJ. Small-vessel vasculitis. N Engl J Med. 1997;337(21):1512–23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Jennette JC. Rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis. Kidney Int. 2003;63(3):1164–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Falk RJ, Jennette JC. ANCA small-vessel vasculitis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 1997;8(2):314–22.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen M, Kallenberg CGM, Zhao M-H. ANCA-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2009;5(6):313–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Koyama A, Yamagata K, Makino H, et al. A nationwide survey of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in Japan: etiology, prognosis and treatment diversity. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2009;13(6):633–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Lin W, Chen M, Cui Z, Zhao MH. The immunopathological spectrum of crescentic glomerulonephritis: a survey of 106 patients in a single Chinese center. Nephron Clin Pract. 2010;116(1):c65–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Denton M, Magee C, Niles J. Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137(5 Part 1):W1.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Levy JB, Hammad T, Coulthart A, Dougan T, Pusey CD. Clinical features and outcome of patients with both ANCA and anti-GBM antibodies. Kidney Int. 2004;66(4):1535–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rutgers A, Slot M, van Paassen P, van Breda VP, Heeringa P, Tervaert JWC. Coexistence of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies and myeloperoxidase-ANCAs in crescentic glomerulonephritis. Am J Kidney Dis. 2005;46(2):253–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Papiris S, Manali E, Kalomenidis I, Kapotsis G, Karakatsani A, Roussos C. Bench-to-bedside review: pulmonary-renal syndromes—an update for the intensivist. Crit Care. 2007;11(3):213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wiik A. Drug-induced vasculitis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2008;20(1):35–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bomback AS, Appel GB. Updates on the treatment of lupus nephritis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010;21(12):2028–35.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Falk RJ, Jennette JC. ANCA disease: where is this field heading? J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010;21(5):745–52.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Jayne DRW, Gaskin G, Rasmussen N, et al. Randomized trial of plasma exchange or high-dosage methylprednisolone as adjunctive therapy for severe renal vasculitis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007;18(7):2180–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hiemstra TF, Walsh M, Mahr A, et al. Mycophenolate mofetil vs azathioprine for remission maintenance in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis. J Am Med Assoc. 2010;304(21):2381–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Jayne D, Rasmussen N, Andrassy K, et al. A randomized trial of maintenance therapy for vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies. N Engl J Med. 2003;349(1):36–44.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Pagnoux C, Mahr A, Hamidou MA, et al. Azathioprine or methotrexate maintenance for ANCA-associated vasculitis. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(26):2790–803.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Jones RB, Cohen Tervaert JW, Hauser T, et al. Rituximab versus cyclophosphamide in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(3):211–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Melander C, Sallée M, Trolliet P, et al. Rituximab in severe lupus nephritis: early B-cell depletion affects long-term renal outcome. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2009;4(3):579–87.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Stone JH, Merkel PA, Spiera R, et al. Rituximab versus cyclophosphamide for ANCA-associated vasculitis. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(3):221–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Falk RJ, Gross WL, Guillevin L, et al. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s): an alternative name for Wegener’s granulomatosis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011;22(4):587–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Jayne D. Current management of lupus nephritis: popular misconceptions. Lupus. 2007;16(3):217–20.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lionaki S, Jennette J, Falk R. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic (ANCA) and anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) autoantibodies in necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis. Semin Immunopathol. 2007;29(4):459–74.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ortega LM, Schultz DR, Lenz O, Pardo V, Contreras GN. Review: lupus nephritis: pathologic features, epidemiology and a guide to therapeutic decisions. Lupus. 2010;19(5):557–74.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Pallan L, Savage CO, Harper L. ANCA-associated vasculitis: from bench research to novel treatments. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2009;5(5):278–86.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Choy BY, Chan TM, Lai KN. Recurrent glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2006;6(11):2535–42.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Fairhead T, Knoll G. Recurrent glomerular disease after kidney transplantation. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2010;19(6):578–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hoffman GS. Therapeutic interventions for systemic vasculitis. J Am Med Assoc. 2010;304(21):2413–4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Mukhtyar C, Flossmann O, Hellmich B, et al. Outcomes from studies of antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody associated vasculitis: a systematic review by the European League Against Rheumatism systemic vasculitis task force. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008;67(7):1004–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hogan SL, Falk RJ, Chin H, et al. Predictors of relapse and treatment resistance in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated small-vessel vasculitis. Ann Intern Med. 2005;143(9):621–31.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Yu F, Tan Y, Liu G, S-x W, W-z Z, M-h Z. Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of patients with crescentic lupus nephritis. Kidney Int. 2009;76(3):307–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Levy JB, Turner AN, Rees AJ, Pusey CD. Long-term outcome of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease treated with plasma exchange and immunosuppression. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134(11):1033–42.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ziad M. El-Zoghby M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

El-Zoghby, Z.M. (2013). Approach to the Patient with Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis. In: Lerma, E., Rosner, M. (eds) Clinical Decisions in Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4454-1_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4454-1_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-4453-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4454-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics