Is Staphylococcus Infection-Associated Glomerulonephritis Overlooked? A Case Report and Literature Review

Staphylococcus infection-associated glomerulonephritis is an immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis seen with active Staphylococcal infection. Kidney injury usually occurs within 4 weeks of the onset of Staphylococcal infection. Longtime prognosis of Staphylococcus infection-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis despite therapy against the infectious pathogen is usually poor for the adult patients. A 59-year-old diabetic male patient was admitted to our nephrology outpatient clinic with the complaints of fatigue, oliguria, edema, and erythema on the left leg. The diagnosis of our patient was considered as crescentic Staphylococcus infection-associated glomerulonephritis by excluding other causes of glomerulonephritis due to the history of skin infection, decreased C3 level, renal biopsy, and clinical findings. Treatment of Staphylococcus infection-associated glomerulonephritis focuses on eradicating infection with the use of antibiotic therapy. The role of steroids is still unclear in the treatment. The present case was treated with high-dose methylprednisolone successfully. Staphylococcus infection-associated glomerulonephritis must be distinguished from IgA-dominant or -codominant immune complex-mediated Staphylococcus infection-associated glomerulonephritis depending on the prognosis and treatment differences.