pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis

Last reviewed 09/2022

Type III crescentic glomerulonephritis is the most common category of the rapidly progressive glomerulonephritides. It is termed "pauci-immune" because there is no detectable IgG or C3 immunofluorescence within the glomerular basement membrane.

The differential diagnosis includes:

  • type III idiopathic crescentic glomerulonephritis:
    • a disease confined to the kidney
  • Wegener's granulomatosis
  • microscopic polyangiitis

All three conditions are associated with ANCA autoantibodies.