REPORT OF LIVE PATIENTS WITH VASCULITIS A ND ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODIES WITH CYTOPLASMATIC PATTERN

We report five patients with vasculitis and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with cytoplasmatic pattern. All had severe upper and lower respiratory tract necrotizing lesions. Three had kidney failure due t o rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. The pathological study showe d a crescentic glomerulonephritis, a chronic granulomatous inflammatio n in the lungs and in the nasal mucosa, an acute nonspecific inflammat ion or a chronic granulomatous inflammation and focal blood vessel fib rinoid necrosis. All patients with simultaneous involvement of lungs a nd kidneys had high titers of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. T he nomenclature and classification of these diseases is discussed.