Scleroderma with crescentic glomerulonephritis: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Systemic sclerosis or scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease characterized by organ-based fibrosis. Renal involvement in scleroderma occurs mainly in the form of scleroderma renal crisis, affecting 5 to 10% of patients. It remains one of the most important and immediately life-threatening complications of scleroderma, but the prognosis improves considerably after treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Other renal pathologies can occur in scleroderma. These include scleroderma overlap syndromes with associated features of lupus nephritis, myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) or proteinase 3 ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis, or crescentic glomerulonephritis. These alternative pathologies should be suspected in any individual patient with a differing clinical picture and the patient should be appropriately investigated. Crescentic glomerulonephritis occurs very rarely in scleroderma. This report describes a patient with scleroderma and crescentic glomerulonephritis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old woman with a known history of scleroderma and hypertension on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was referred to the nephrologist because of a rapid decline in renal function. Kidney biopsy was performed which revealed immune complex type crescentic glomrulonephritis. Cytoplasmic-staining ANCA was negative. Despite immunosuppressive treatment the patient rapidly went into end-stage renal failure and is still on hemodialysis. CONCLUSION: Scleroderma is a complex disease, and the best characterized renal involvement in scleroderma is scleroderma renal crisis. However, other renal pathologies can occur in scleroderma. These alternative pathologies should be suspected in any patient with a differing clinical picture and the patient should be appropriately investigated, as the clinical course and treatment are different from the more common scleroderma renal crisis.