[Rapidly progressive kidney failure associated with neutrophil anticytoplasmic autoantibodies. Anatomo-clinical case]

We report a 63 year old woman with a rapidly progressive renal failure and fever of unknown origin. Laboratory tests showed anemia, increased ESR and a urine analysis compatible with a glomerular disease. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies were positive with a perinuclear pattern. Kidney biopsy showed an autoimmune crescenteric glomerulonephritis. The patient had a bad evolution, dying after a massive hemoptysis. The necropsy showed a disseminated arteritis without compromise of bronchial vessels. The oligosymptomatic presentation of this patient, bearing in mind the anatomo-pathological findings, is noteworthy and emphasizes the usefulness of serological markers as antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies in the differential diagnosis.