C1q nephropathy presenting as acute renal failure

Abstract EN

We describe a 42-year-old male patient who presented with high grade fever associated with acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis.

Renal biopsy revealed that he had focal proliferative glomerulonephritis on light microscopy, dominant meningeal deposition of C1q by immunofluorescent staining, and electron dense deposits on electron microscopy, with no evidence of systemic lupus erythematous, compatible with the diagnosis of C1q nephropathy.

Intensive treatment with a combination of methyl prednisolone pulse therapy and oral prednisolone was successful in achieving complete remission and disappearance of proteinuria in our patient.