Goodpasture's syndrome: a report of an autopsy case and a review of Japanese cases.

A 75-yr-old man was admitted because of acute renal failure. On the 9th hospital day, pulmonary hemorrhage occurred. He was treated with a bolus dose of methylprednisolone and plasma exchange, but died from respiratory failure on the 16th hospital day. Autopsy findings demonstrated marked intraalveolar hemorrhage and crescentic glomerulonephritis. Linear depositions of IgG along both alveolar and glomerular basement membranes (GBM) were shown by direct immunofluorescent studies. Circulating anti-GBM antibodies were demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescent techniques. This is a confirmatory case of Goodpasture's syndrome, which is rare in Japan. A review of the Japanese literature revealed some characteristics of Japanese cases.