Extramembranous glomerulonephritis and cysticercosis

We report a case of impure nephrotic syndrome occurring during cysticercosis. Renal biopsy showed membranous glomerulonephritis, indicating that there were immune complexes involved in reaction to this parasite. The patient had previously received prednisolone treatment without any success. Subsequently, treatment with praziquantel was followed by the disappearance of subcutaneous nodules with a decrease of proteinuria. This led to a remission of the nephrotic syndrome and, after an immediate post-therapeutic peak, lower serologic levels. Also, after an immediate post-therapeutic peak, creatinemia reached the proper value, which was lower than before the treatment, within twenty months of evolution. Because nephropathy complicated the cysticercosis and the antiparasitic treatment was favorable, research on this type of infection is interesting. Also, the serology of cysticercosis should be added to the list of antigen tests which could identify the cause of membranous glomerulonephritis.