Membranous Glomerulonephropathy with Crescents in Systemic Lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Over a 2-yr period percutaneous renal biopsies were carried out on 23 patients with systemic lupus nephritis. When classified by immunofluorescence and light and electron microscopy, 4 patients had mesangial disease, 1 had focal and segmental proliferation, 5 had diffuse proliferation and 5 had membranous changes. Three biopsies were unclassifiable with end-stage changes and 5 showed an unusual combination of pure membranous changes in association with significant cresent formation. The outcome of the latter group of patients was uniformly poor. This group apparently represents a distinct histological entity with a poor prognosis.