A Case of Wegener's Granulomatosis

In 1931 Klinger described a case of polyarteritis nodosa with an unusual localization of. the lesions in the nasal septum, lungs, spleen, and kidneys. Wegener (1937, 1939) reported three more similar cases as a new disease, stressing its granulomatous aspect. Since that time, examples of this condition have appeared in the literature under a confusing variety of different names, but recent authors have preferred the term "Wegener's granulomatosis," and the present state of our knowledge of this subject is summarized by Fahey, Leonard, Churg, and Godman (1954) and by Godman and Churg (1954). In two excellent papers they review the literature, describe seven new cases and clarify the diagnostic criteria of this disease. The present paper describes another case of Wegener's granulomatosis and discusses its relationship with some cases of Ceelen's haemosiderosis. The story of the case and its investigations will be more readily understood if it is appreciated that it presented as an intractable anaemia and was investigated and treated as such. Indeed, apart from haemoptysis, thought to originate from an ulcer of the nasal septum, symptoms referable to the respiratory system were extremely slight.