Glomerulocystic disease and lupus glomerulonephropathy

A renal biopsy demonstrated the presence of both glomerulocystic disease (GCD) and lupus glomerulonephropathy in a patient who was admitted for an unrelated disease and was found to have proteinuria and renal failure. Of 12 adult patients with GCD reported in the literature, some form of glomerulonephropathy was demonstrated in 3. One of the 3 had the membranous type of lupus glomerulonephropathy. When family members of previously reported cases of GCD have been examined, "occult" cases of GCD were frequently identified. GCD is probably a much more frequent disease than the relatively small number of published cases would lead one to believe. In adults GCD is often asymptomatic and will only become symptomatic if another renal disease, such as lupus glomerulonephropathy, is superimposed.