Sudden Collapse in the First Trimester: Report of Hyperacute Renal Failure Secondary to Collapsing Glomerulopathy as the Initial Presentation of Lupus

Abstract

Hyperacute renal failure is rarely the initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Pregnancy can predispose untreated lupus nephritis to acute renal failure. Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) type of renal failure is not a new clinicopathological entity. There have been documented cases prior to 1979. It is thought that detection bias coupled with the predilection for HIV has caused this form of glomerulopathy to be incorrectly named or diagnosed as 'malignant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)'. This is a case of CG described in lupus nephritis. We present a case of untreated lupus in a female in whom pregnancy triggered the exacerbation of lupus nephritis that presented as collapsing glomerulopathy.