title: Crescentic glomerulonephritis complicating idiopathic membranous glomerulonephropathy.
abstract: We describe the course of a patient with multiple rectal abscesses and progressive renal dysfunction. A renal biopsy demonstrated a membranous glomerulopathy associated with extensive crescent formation. No underlying cause for the glomerulonephritis could be identified and, specifically, the anti-GBM antibody present in other similar cases was not found. There appears to be a subset of patients with membranous glomerulopathy in whom crescents develop with rapid loss of renal function. Anti-GBM antibody is not necessary in the pathogenesis of this lesion.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001706:Biopsy; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006435:Renal Dialysis