Dense deposit disease: a variant of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis

Abstract

The authors describe 44 cases with a special type of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, characterized by dense intramembranous deposits in contrast to the more common type with subendothelial deposits and double contour appearance of the glomerular basement membrane. The results of immunopathologic and complement studies seem to imply different pathogenetic mechanisms for both types.