[Glomerulonephritis following an infected ventriculoatrial shunt. Report of 2 cases]

Two patients with shunt nephritis are reported. One of the patients had a positive blood culture to Staphylococcus albus; the kidney biopsy showed an immune complex disease. In the second patient, Klebsiella sp., was cultured in the blood, and this is the first report with such bacteria as the cause of nephritis. The finding of fibrin in the glomeruli by light, immunofluorescence and electron microsocopy studies, suggests a pathogenesis different from intravascular coagulation. In both patients, nephritis became inactive when the shunt was removed.