Something Out of Nothing: A Rare Case of Pulmonary Renal Syndrome With Pauci-Immune Glomerulonephritis and Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage With Negative Serologies

Abstract

BACKGROUND Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) is one of the most common etiologies of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. This condition presents with crescentic glomerulonephritis with little or no immunoglobulin staining and negative serological workup aside from a positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA). Typically, patients with pauci-immune CrGN have an underlying systemic small vessel vasculitis, but in rare cases, it presents without any known vasculitis or ANCA. Pauci-immune ANCA negative CrGN is often strictly isolated to the kidneys. In this case, we present a patient with ANCA negative, pauci-immune CrGN with severe diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. CASE PRESENTATION A 66-year-old Hispanic woman with a past medical history of controlled hypertension presented with fatigue and dysphagia. On admission, her vital signs were significant for hypoxia on room air, and her physical exam was remarkable for crackles bilaterally. The initial laboratory results revealed anemia (hemoglobin 5.2 g/dL), hyperkalemia (6.3 mmol/L), elevated creatinine (4.50 mg/dL, with a baseline of 0.9mg/dL). Urinalysis showed moderate blood and urine protein (200 mg/dL). Urine microscopic examination showed 25-50 RBCs seen/high power field. The patient was admitted to ICU due to hypoxia, a computed tomography scan of the chest/abdomen/pelvis was obtained and revealed multifocal pulmonary consolidations. A blood transfusion was ordered. The patient began to have hemoptysis and subsequent bronchoscopy showed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. ICU team proceeded to intubate her as the hemorrhage continued to worsen. Further workup revealed a positive anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) of 1:40, but otherwise negative serologies including myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA, glomerular basement membrane antibody, and anti-double stranded DNA. Kidney biopsy showed necrotizing glomerulonephritis with crescents and negative immunofluorescence. She was diagnosed with pauci-immune ANCA-negative vasculitis with associated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and nephritis based on these results and was started on pulse-dose steroids. The patient was started on intravenous (IV) high-dose cyclophosphamide, which helped improved the overall clinical condition significantly. After creatinine began trending down and urine output improved, the patient was discharged on a regimen of daily oral cyclophosphamide and steroid taper. Patient oxygen requirements decreased and she was sent home with supplemental oxygen while requiring 3L/min of oxygen. CONCLUSION Pauci-immune and ANCA-negative glomerulonephritis with concurrent diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is exceptionally rare. In this situation, medical management relied on clinical evidence from similar populations in the use of steroids and cyclophosphamide. This case report aims to shed more light on the clinical progression and management of this condition. Here we present a case of pulmonary-renal syndrome with biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis but without ANCA positive serologies.