Severe forms of glomerulonephritis: subacute malignant and rapidly progressive.

Clinicomorphological comparisons were made in two groups of patients who died of renal failure within a period of 3 to 24 months. Group 1 (15 cases) showed extracapillary proliferation and membranous changes; group 2(31 cases) had nephritic corrugated kidney. These comparisons served to separate two severe forms of glomerulonephritis: subacute malignant and rapidly progressive. The rapidly progressive form differs from subacute malignant nephritis by its less sudden beginning, longer duration, longer survival (4 /- 0.8 and 19 +/- 0.8 months, respectively) and also by the morphological changes indicated.