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The variety of clinical and histopathologic presentations of glomerulonephritis associated with latent syphilis

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Abstract

Glomerulonephritis is a well established but rather uncommon complication of latent secondary syphilis. We present three cases of glomerulopathies associated with luetic infection, observed and managed in our institutions in the past three years. They illustrate a variety of clinicopathologic presentations of this nephropathy, from acute nephrotic syndrome through membranous glomerulopathy up to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Regardless of the clinical course and histologic type, they were all characterized by strongly positive results of serologic tests for syphilis. Our observations suggest the necessity of eliminating luetic infection in aetiologic considerations of each newly diagnosed case of nephrotic syndrome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Academy of Medicine, Wrocław, Poland

    Z. Hruby, J. Kuźniar, A. Steciwko & W. Weyde

  2. Department of Pathology, Academy of Medicine, Wrocław, Poland

    J. Rabczyński

  3. Regional Hospital, Lubań, Poland

    J. Bogucki

Authors
  1. Z. Hruby
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  2. J. Kuźniar
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  3. J. Rabczyński
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  4. J. Bogucki
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  5. A. Steciwko
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  6. W. Weyde
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Hruby, Z., Kuźniar, J., Rabczyński, J. et al. The variety of clinical and histopathologic presentations of glomerulonephritis associated with latent syphilis. International Urology and Nephrology 24, 541–547 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02550123

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