Background: Crescentic glomerulonephritis with syphilis infection is rare, and the mechanism underlying the formation of glomerular capillary wall damage-induced crescent has not been elucidated.
Case presentation: A 62-year-old Japanese male showed edema, eruption, and rapid deterioration of the renal function after an acute syphilis infection. A renal biopsy showed crescentic glomerulonephritis with C3 deposition in the glomerular capillary wall, and immunostaining for anti-Treponema pallidum antibody was weakly positive in some interstitium and one glomerulus. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of string-shaped structures in the glomerular capillary walls. After treatment with penicillin followed by prednisolone, the renal function and urinary abnormalities, including Treponema pallidum protein, disappeared.
Conclusions: Crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with syphilis showed a string-shaped deposition in the glomerular capillary and urinary Treponema pallidum protein excretion, and was effectively treated with penicillin and prednisolone.
Keywords: Crescentic glomerulonephritis; Electron microscopy; Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis; Syphilis.
© 2023. The Author(s).