A rare case of coexistence of Wegener’s granulomatosis and pulmonary tuberculosis with subsequent development of thrombosis of the cerebral veins

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), also known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, is an idiopathic systemic disease typically affecting the lungs, although other organs may also be involved. Case presentation: A 28-year-old male was admitted to Baqiyatallah university hospital in Teheran (Iran) after a 3-week history of fever and productive cough. The patient gradually developed fatigue, arthralgia, hematuria, nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, hemoptysis, weight loss, oliguria and then anuria. Chest-X-ray (CXR) and computerized tomography scan revealed cavitating nodular opacities in the right lung lobe. Furthermore, plasma creatinine increased from 2.2 to 4 mg/dl in a few days. Histopathological examination of kidney biopsy revealed peri-glomerular and peri-vascular inflammation, degeneration and necrosis of the tubular epithelial lining, red blood cell casts, distorted glomerular structure, fibrin thrombi, segmental breaks of the glomerular basal membrane, disruption of Bowman's capsular membrane and crescent formation of the affected glomeruli. An abnormal CXR, an abnormal urinary sediment and a typical kidney histology were used as criteria to diagnose glomerulonefritis with poliangiitis (GPA). Bronchoalveolar lavage smear and PCR turned out positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis. After 3 months of treatment for (GPA) and tuberculosis the patient developed headache and seizure. Cerebral Magnetic Resonance Venography revealed cerebral venous thrombosis of the sinus transverse and sigmoid. Conclusions: Tuberculosis may coexist with GPA, as it occurred in our patient. Since a crescentic glomerulonephritis can progress to renal failure, clinicians should always be aware of potential multiple conditions when considering differential diagnoses.