NDT Plus Advance Access published online on September 3, 2008
NDT Plus, doi:10.1093/ndtplus/sfn145
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A rare cause of the pulmonary-renal syndrome: a case of atypical haemolytic-uraemic syndrome complicated by pulmonary haemorrhage
1 Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
2 UNC Kidney Centre, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
3 Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
4 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Correspondence: Vimal K. Derebail, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, UNC Kidney Centre, 7018-A Burnett-Womack, Campus Box 7155, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. Tel: +1-919-966-2561; Fax: +1-919-966-4251; E-mail: Vimal_Derebail{at}med.unc.edu
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Abstract |
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Pulmonary haemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening event that may occur in patients with pulmonary-renal syndromes. These syndromes have typically been thought to occur in small-vessel vasculitides, such as ANCA-mediated disease, Goodpasture's disease and other autoimmune conditions including systemic lupus erythematosus or anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome. Here, we present a rare cause for pulmonary haemorrhage with associated renal failure—atypical haemolytic-uraemic syndrome. In this case, renal biopsy was integral to providing a diagnosis and guiding therapy.
Key Words: haemolytic-uraemic syndrome • pulmonary haemorrhage • pulmonary-renal syndrome • thrombotic microangiopathy
Received for publication August 6, 2008. Accepted for publication August 8, 2008.