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Published on: February 8, 2019
[Microscopic polyangiitis: an unusual case report]
A Despond1, Ch Brossard, S Moll
1Service de Médecine Interne, Département de Médecine, CHUV, Lausanne.
Abstract:
A 56-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because persistence of fever and inflammatory syndrome after antibiotic treatment for pneumonia. In the past, no special feature. Physical examination revealed only--at first--a pneumonia. Two weeks after, associated with the cough, she developed an acute renal failure. The laboratory revealed an inflammatory syndrome associated with proteinuria, hematuria and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. The CT of thorax shows aspecific infiltrations. The renal biopsy, in the context of the patient, diagnosed an microscopic polyangiitis. All the symptom resolved with the initiation of corticoid and cyclophosphamide treatment.
Insights
A woman with persistent pneumonia symptoms developed acute kidney injury. Diagnosis revealed microscopic polyangiitis, a condition effectively treated with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Rheumatology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Pneumonia can present with systemic inflammatory symptoms.
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) can be a manifestation of systemic vasculitis.
Observation:
- A 56-year-old woman presented with persistent fever and inflammatory syndrome post-pneumonia treatment.
- She subsequently developed AKI, characterized by proteinuria, hematuria, and positive anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.
- Thoracic CT revealed nonspecific infiltrates.
Findings:
- Renal biopsy confirmed microscopic polyangiitis (MPA).
- MPA is a small-vessel vasculitis often associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA).
Implications:
- Early diagnosis and treatment of MPA are crucial for preventing irreversible kidney damage.
- Corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide are effective in inducing remission for MPA.
- This case highlights the importance of considering systemic vasculitis in patients with unexplained inflammatory syndromes and AKI.
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