Goodpasture's Syndrome

Abstract

Goodpasture's syndrome remains a disease of undetermined etiology although the possibility of an immunologic basis has been raised. Immunosuppressive agents have been used late in the course of this disease without benefit.¹The purpose of this paper is to report the results of azathioprine (Imuran) therapy begun prior to the onset of renal insufficiency in a patient with classical Goodpasture's syndrome. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> This 20-year-old white man had been well until the first of Jan, 1965, when he suddenly began to cough bright red blood. He was admitted to another hospital where an x-ray film revealed pulmonary infiltrates (Fig 1). The hematocrit reading and analysis of the urine were reported as normal, but a value for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was not determined. The patient improved spontaneously and after one week, the chest appeared normal on a radiograph. The patient had hemoptysis again on Feb 1, and