Abstract
Renal involvement is common in patients with bacterial endocarditis. The most common bacteria are staphylococci and streptococci, and the commonest renal histopathological lesion is a diffuse proliferative and exudative type of glomerulonephritis. Very rarely, patients may present with an extensive glomerular epithelial crescent formation with a rapid deterioration in the renal function. This study reviews the published literature on diffuse crescentic glomerulonephritis in bacterial endocarditis and reports a 24-year-old male patient with endocarditis due to Capnocytophagia species, a gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacillus, which normally inhabits the oral cavity. Appropriate antibiotic therapy is essential to eradicate the infection. A brief course of corticosteroid therapy may be helpful in those with deteriorating renal function. Plasmapheresis may be useful in those with persistent hypocomplementemia, increased circulating immune complexes, and a progressive deterioration in the renal function. Removal of vegetation or valve replacement may be necessary. Prognosis is generally good.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 423-428 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Pediatric Nephrology |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 1 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bacterial endocarditis
- Corticosteroids
- Crescentic glomerulonephritis
- Renal failure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Nephrology