RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH RENAL AMYLOIDOSIS AND CRESCENTICGLOMERULONEPHRITIS

A 43-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), renal amyloidosis and crescentic glomerulonephritis had severe abdominal pain, melena an d progressive renal failure, Autopsy findings revealed vasculitis of s mall and middle size of vessels and there was a deposition of amyloid in the small intestines, Although there were no findings of vasculitis in the kidney, amyloid deposition was noticed and 70-80 % of glomerul i showed a crescentic formation, No immunological abnormality was foun d in glomeruli, Although the immunological mechanisms of crescentic gl omerulonephritis were not necessarily eliminated, amyloid deposition m ay play a role in crescent formation.