A case of resistant Goodpasture's syndrome and staghorn calculus--treatment with bilateral nephrectomy

We report the case of a 49-year-old female with severe Goodpasture's syndrome, staghorn calculus, and subacute thyroiditis. Despite the use of a combined therapy with corticosteroid, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and plasma exchange, we were unable to suppress the disease activity or normalize the anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody levels. Disease remission with a parallel reduction in anti-GBM antibody titer was only achieved after sequential bilateral nephrectomy.