Apparent progression of acute glomerulonephritis to dense deposit disease.

One week after the diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis, an 8-year-old boy presented with acute renal failure and hypocomplementemia. A renal biopsy showed "postinfectious glomerulonephritis" and acute tubular necrosis. Hematuria, proteinuria, and low complement levels persisted, and 2 years later a follow-up renal biopsy revealed dense deposit disease. The apparent progression of postinfectious glomerulonephritis to dense deposit disease as observed in this patient has not been previously described.