Herein is reported the case of a man who has had a recurrence of Goodpasture's syndrome following a five-year remission. The patient presented initially in 1977 at the age of 28 with Goodpasture's syndrome manifested by pulmonary hemorrhage without clinical evidence of renal disease, and positive antiglomerular basement membrane antibody. Following treatment with corticosteroids, remission occurred and the serum antiglomerular basement membrane antibody became negative. In 1983, he experienced a relapse with the reappearance of serum antiglomerular basement membrane antibody, the development of severe life-threatening intrapulmonary hemorrhage, and hematuria. This case illustrates that life-threatening relapse may occur in Goodpasture's syndrome despite a prolonged remission and the disappearance of detectable antiglomerular basement membrane antibody in the circulation.