Parvoviral infection with systemic impact and renal consequences

Abstract

Parvovirus infection is usually asymptomatic especially in immunocompetent adults. When symptomatic it can range from mild to life threatening depending on the patient’s age and comorbidities. We report a case of a 40-year-old male patient with parvovirus infection who presented a purpuric rash in distal extremities, acute kidney injury, type II mixed cryoglobulinaemia and hypocomplementaemia. His renal biopsy showed a mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis with positive immunoreactivity to C3, IgM and C1q. Parvovirus B19 was detected in the biopsy tissue by PCR. He was treated with prednisolone with total remission after 1 month. We discuss the diagnosis of kidney lesion due to parvovirus in an immunocompetent person, which is a very rare condition and its association with the cryoglobulinaemia diagnosis.