Ocular clinical findings and basement membrane changes in Goodpasture's syndrome

Goodpasture's syndrome is a rapidly progressive disease characterized by the onset of pulmonary hemorrhage with glomerulonephritis, leading to pulmonary and renal failure. The hallmark of this disease is linear deposition of antibasement membrane IgG in the basement membranes of the kidney and lung. In two cases of nonrhegmatogenous retinal detachment in patients with Goodpasture's syndrome, the first patient demonstrated multiple ischemic areas in the choroid on fluorescein angiography. Histopathologic and immunologic studies of the eyes in the second patient demonstrated macular edema and elevation of the retina in association with choroidal infarction and linear deposition of IgG in Burch's membrane and the basement membranes of the choroidal vessels.