Bilateral nephrectomy for massive pulmonary hemorrhage in Goodpasture's syndrome

A case of Goodpasture's syndrome is described in which bilateral nephrectomy was undertaken because of massive pulmonary hemorrhage. Similar cases recorded in the literature are reviewed. Various hypotheses to explain the beneficial effects of renal ablation on lung purpura are considered. It is suggested that the pulmonary hemorrhage in Goodpasture's syndrome is mediated in part by a non-antibody humoral factor with permeability-increasing properties that is released from the nephritic kidney.