Crescentic involved glomerulonephritis in infective endocarditis

The author has analysed the renal alterations in 8 patients, each of whom died of renal failure. Extracapillary crescents had developed in more than 50% of the glomeruli in all of them. Renal symptoms followed those of endocarditis after two weeks. Proteinuria, haematuria and impairment of renal functional parameters featured the clinical course of the disease. From the haemoculture, bacteria (in 6 cases) and fungus (in one case) were isolated. Haemoculture was negative in one case. The obtained serum complement values, intraglomerular immunoglobulin and/or complement depositions, electron-dense deposits along the glomerular basement membrane and within the mesangium all proved the presence of an immunocomplex mechanism. The rapid course leading to renal failure can be explained by the abundant crescent formation.