Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report
Introduction: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)- associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare group of systemic autoimmune diseases that primarily target small blood vessels. Renal manifestations often present as pauci-immune focal and segmental necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (PI-NCGN)...
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| Format: | Article |
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Albanian Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Albanian Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.astes.org.al/AJTES/index.php/AJTES/article/view/445 |
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| author | Erjola Likaj Larisa Shehaj Deniona Nunci Lordian Nunci Irda Rrugeja Merita Rroji Saimir Seferi Nertila Gjonaj Alma Idrizi Arjana Strakosha |
| author_facet | Erjola Likaj Larisa Shehaj Deniona Nunci Lordian Nunci Irda Rrugeja Merita Rroji Saimir Seferi Nertila Gjonaj Alma Idrizi Arjana Strakosha |
| author_sort | Erjola Likaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)- associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare group of systemic autoimmune diseases that primarily target small blood vessels. Renal manifestations often present as pauci-immune focal and segmental necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (PI-NCGN), which can progress to acute or chronic kidney failure and multiorgan involvement. It is frequently associated with poor outcomes.
We report a case of PR3-positive ANCA-associated vasculitis complicated by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, acute kidney injury, and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of differentiating AAV from conditions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, as the clinical and radiological presentations of pulmonary-renal syndromes may overlap.
The findings underscore the importance of maintaining a comprehensive differential diagnosis in patients with pulmonary and renal involvement, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, to ensure timely and accurate management of rare autoimmune conditions such as AAV.
Conclusion: ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, where overlapping clinical and radiological features with SARS-CoV-2 complications can obscure timely identification. This case highlights the critical importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis in patients presenting with pulmonary-renal syndromes to differentiate AAV from more common conditions associated with COVID-19.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-01108cc0477c4beca3d64339908453bf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2521-8778 2616-4922 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Albanian Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Albanian Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery |
| spelling | doaj-art-01108cc0477c4beca3d64339908453bf2025-01-19T14:24:37ZengAlbanian Society for Trauma and Emergency SurgeryAlbanian Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery2521-87782616-49222025-01-019110.32391/ajtes.v9i1.445Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case ReportErjola Likaj0Larisa Shehaj1Deniona Nunci2Lordian Nunci3Irda Rrugeja4Merita Rroji5Saimir Seferi6Nertila Gjonaj7Alma Idrizi8Arjana Strakosha9Nephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIANephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIARadiology Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIAICU and Anesthesiology Service, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIADepartment of Pathological Anatomy, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIANephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIANephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIANephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIANephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIANephrology and Dialysis Department, University Hospital Center “Mother Tereza,” Tirana, ALBANIAIntroduction: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)- associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare group of systemic autoimmune diseases that primarily target small blood vessels. Renal manifestations often present as pauci-immune focal and segmental necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (PI-NCGN), which can progress to acute or chronic kidney failure and multiorgan involvement. It is frequently associated with poor outcomes. We report a case of PR3-positive ANCA-associated vasculitis complicated by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, acute kidney injury, and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of differentiating AAV from conditions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, as the clinical and radiological presentations of pulmonary-renal syndromes may overlap. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining a comprehensive differential diagnosis in patients with pulmonary and renal involvement, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, to ensure timely and accurate management of rare autoimmune conditions such as AAV. Conclusion: ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, where overlapping clinical and radiological features with SARS-CoV-2 complications can obscure timely identification. This case highlights the critical importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis in patients presenting with pulmonary-renal syndromes to differentiate AAV from more common conditions associated with COVID-19. http://journal.astes.org.al/AJTES/index.php/AJTES/article/view/445ANCA-associated vasculitiscrescentic glomerulonephritisacute kidney injuryplasma exchangehemodialysispulmonary-renal syndrome |
| spellingShingle | Erjola Likaj Larisa Shehaj Deniona Nunci Lordian Nunci Irda Rrugeja Merita Rroji Saimir Seferi Nertila Gjonaj Alma Idrizi Arjana Strakosha Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report Albanian Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery ANCA-associated vasculitis crescentic glomerulonephritis acute kidney injury plasma exchange hemodialysis pulmonary-renal syndrome |
| title | Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report |
| title_full | Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report |
| title_fullStr | Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report |
| title_short | Diagnosing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis within the COVID-19 Era: A Challenging Case Report |
| title_sort | diagnosing and treating anca associated vasculitis within the covid 19 era a challenging case report |
| topic | ANCA-associated vasculitis crescentic glomerulonephritis acute kidney injury plasma exchange hemodialysis pulmonary-renal syndrome |
| url | http://journal.astes.org.al/AJTES/index.php/AJTES/article/view/445 |
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