Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis: Current and evolving treatment strategies

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) must be diagnosed and treated quickly to prevent irreversible organ injury. The commonest cause of RPGN is anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) associated small vessel vasculitis, and the most severe is anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody disease. In this review we address pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and outcome in these two entities, with emphasis on novel therapies.