etiology of crescentic glomerulonephritis (rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis)

Etiology

• primary crescentic glomerulonephritis*
  • type 1 with linear deposits of Ig
    • mediated by anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody
  • type 2 with granular deposits of Ig
    • immune complex-mediated
  • type 3 with few or no Ig deposits (pauci-immune variant)
    • anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive (microscopic polyarteritis limited to kidney)
    • anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody negative
  • type 4: combination of types 1 & 3a
• superimposed on another primary glomerular disease
  • membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (esp type 2)
  • membranous glomerulonephritis*
  • Berger's disease (IgA nephropathy)*
• infectious disease
  • poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis*
  • infective endocarditis*
  • occult visceral sepsis
  • hepatitis B infection (with vasculitis &/or cryoglobulinemia)
• multisystem disease
  • systemic lupus erythematosus*
  • Henoch-Schonlein purpura*
  • systemic necrotizing vasculitis
    • Wegener's granulomatosus
    • microscopic polyarteritis*
  • Goodpasteur's disease*
  • essential mixed (IgG/IgM) cryoglobulinemia
  • malignancy
  • relapsing polychondritis
  • rheumatoid arthritis (with vasculitis)
• pharmaceutical agents
  • penicillamine*
  • hydralazine
  • allopurinol (with vasculitis)
  • rifampin

* most common causes

Additional terms

• crescentic glomerulonephritis (rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis)