Rapidly Progressive IgA Nephropathy: A Case Report With Review of Clinical Presentation, Prognostic Factors and Therapeutic Modalities

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerulonephritis in the Western world. Generally, the diagnosis of IgAN is based on clinical history, laboratory data, and histopathological reports. The rapidly progressing and crescentic subtype is quite uncommon. The clinical picture and spectrum of severity upon presentation varies between individual cases. In this case report, we present a previously healthy 20-year-old Latin American male with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies seropositive rapidly progressing IgAN leading to severe acute renal impairment, uremic pericarditis, and uremic encephalopathy. Prognostic markers and histopathological types of injury have been proposed as tools to assess severity of disease and in guiding therapeutic options. This case report highlights histopathological, serological, and clinical characteristics of severe IgAN. J Med Cases. 2016;7(6):230-233 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2498w