Crescentic Glomerulonephritis, A Rare Presentation of Alport Syndrome

Crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) is a feature of severe glomerular injury. Anti-GBM disease, immune-complex mediated glomerulonephritis, and ANCA-associated vasculitis are the main causes of crescentic GN. Alport syndrome is a progressive form of hereditary nephritis presenting with hematuria and progression to proteinuria and renal failure. Herein we present a 16-year-old male with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis syndrome, sensory-neural hearing loss, and a family history of hematuria and proteinuria in his mother and aunt. Light microscopic examination shows cellular crescent in glomeruli. In an electron microscopy study, GBM changes compatible with Alport syndrome were identified. Alport syndrome rarely can be presented as crescentic GN. Electron microscopy is necessary for the diagnosis of this type of pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis.