MEMBRANOUS GLOMERULONEPHRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH INFLAMMATORY DEMYELINATING PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIES

A 55-year-old man with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculo neuropathy developed the nephrotic syndrome, Renal biopsy showed stage I membranous glomerulonephritis, Review of the literature revealed th e association of these two rare syndromes, considered to be due to imm unologic dysfunction, in two other cases, as well as several cases of the acute form of demyelinating peripheral polyradiculoneuropathy. The nephrotic syndrome appears to be persistent in the chronic form of th e peripheral neuropathy but reversible in its acute form following imm unosuppressive therapy, The possibility of a common immunopathogenesis in the association of membranous glomerulonephritis and inflammatory demyelinating peripheral neuropathies deserves further scrutiny. (C) 1 996 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.