Shunt nephritis with crescent formation.

The case of a 17-year-old girl is reported, who presented shunt nephritis, 8 years after the ventriculo-atrial shunt insertion was made. Renal biopsy showed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. The symptoms of uremia mingled with those of chronic septic state. Persistent hypocomplementemia and cryoglobulinemia dominated the picture of the disease. At the beginning of the disease Staphylococcus aureus abunded in the blood culture. In spite of the therapy the general status of the patient declined steadily.