[Clinical and anatomopathological study of 5 patients with vasculitis and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with cytoplasmatic pattern].

We report five patients with vasculitis and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with cytoplasmatic pattern. All had severe upper and lower respiratory tract necrotizing lesions. Three had kidney failure due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. The pathological study showed a crescentic glomerulonephritis, a chronic granulomatous inflammation in the lungs and in the nasal mucosa, an acute nonspecific inflammation or a chronic granulomatous inflammation and focal blood vessel fibrinoid necrosis. All patients with simultaneous involvement of lungs and kidneys had high titers of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. The nomenclature and classification of these diseases is discussed.