Autoimmune Dysfunction and Subsequent Renal Insufficiency in a Collegiate Female Athlete: A Case Report (Case Report) (Clinical Report‪)‬

Complications from autoimmune disorders can greatly affect a patient's daily activity, including sport participation, and may require treatment with various medications that place additional strain on the body and leave the patient susceptible to other illnesses. (1) Autoimmune disorders can present during many stages of life. Some autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes mellitus type I and celiac disease, are more common and recognizable in high school and collegiate populations. Others are rare and more difficult to recognize and diagnose. Wegener granulomatosis is one of these disorders. Classified as an illness associated with antibodymediated injury, it most often affects the lungs, respiratory tract, kidneys, sinus and nasal passages, blood vessels, and eyes. (2-4) Approximately 90% of patients who present with symptoms have sinus or lung (or both) involvement. Most patients with this disorder also develop renal failure. (3,5,6) Although rare, eye symptoms can include pain, pressure, vision loss, and protrusion of the globe from the orbit (5); these symptoms indicate the presence of Wegener granulomatosis. Typically, Wegener granulomatosis affects people in their 40s and 50s, although approximately 15% of cases are seen in people younger than 20 years of age. The mean age of diagnosis is 55 years. (5,6) Wegener granulomatosis can occur in both sexes but is most commonly seen in males. (3) In many patients, 2 types of antibodies have been identified. This means that Wegener granulomatosis could be genetically linked, but studies (3) have been inconclusive.