Idiopathic or iatrogenic membranous glomerulonephritis? A case of spironolactone-induced membranous glomerulonephritis

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults in the UK. In most cases, the aetiology remains unknown, although recent data suggested a clear mechanism of pathogenesis. In approximately a quarter of cases, however, a presumed cause is found, such as systemic lupus nephritis, malignancy, hepatitis B and various drugs. Here, we present a patient who developed MN soon after commencing spironolactone and whose condition persisted for the duration of exposure to the drug only to resolve with cessation of the drug. No cases of spironolactone-induced MN have been reported in the literature previously.