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Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is an infrequently encountered life-threatening disorder characterised by elevated abdominal pressure with evidence of new organ dysfunction. It is rarely reported in paediatrics. We describe an extremely unusual presentation of a 13-year-old boy with long-standing constipation who developed ACS complicated by refractory septic shock and multiorgan failure. He was treated with emergent decompressive laparotomy and supportive critical care. This case highlights the need for early diagnosis and timely management of ACS to improve its outcome., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Historically, patients with kidney diseases caused by genetic or acquired dysregulation of the complement alternative pathway have been grouped into clinical syndromes, C3 glomerulopathy (C3GN/DDD) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), specifically atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Recent data suggested that these diseases share a common pathophysiology and that patients can transition between glomerulopathies in this spectrum. Histopathologically, the main difference cited is the immunofluorescence (IF) findings, with C3 predominance in C3 glomerulopathy (compared with immunoglobulins and complements in immune complex-mediated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)) and negative IF in TMA. We report a case in which a patient presented with hypertension, seizures, proteinuria, renal impairment and immune complex-mediated MPGN on kidney biopsy. Months later, she presented with classical TMA. She failed to respond to steroids and plasma exchange therapy but subsequently made a remarkable haematological and renal recovery after eculizumab treatment, thus supporting an underlying complement dysregulation and a diagnosis of aHUS., Competing Interests: Competing interests: WFC has received speaking honoraria from Octaplasma., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)