Wegener's granulomatosis: a case reports

ABSTRACT

Wegener's Granulomatosis is a rare disorder, presenting with granulomatous vasculitic lesions, mainly involving the respiratory tract [including the lungs] and associated with glomerulonephritis. We present the case of a 33-year old male patient who was admitted with complaints of cough and hemoptysis associated with vasculitic skin lesions. He had high levels of serum cytoplasmica ntineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody [C-ANCA]. The chest X-ray revealed extensive infiltrates in both lung fields. As the patient was too ill on account of severe hypoxia, lung biopsy could not be carried out, but skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Based on these findings, a clinical diagnosis of We gener' s granulomatosis was made and combined therapy of steroids and cyclophosphamide started. The patient showed dramatic improvement and recovered fully from this life threatening condition