Subcapsular Hematoma Causing Anuria After Renal Graft Trauma.

A 67-year-old man presented to the emergency department 22 hours after a trauma to his kidney graft. He was asymptomatic during the first 10 hours, then he became anuric. His serum creatinine level was 2.73 mg/dL (baseline, 0.7 mg/dL), and his hemoglobin concentration was 13.1 g/dL. Computer tomography showed a 4-cm subcapsular hematoma without active bleeding. He underwent urgent decompression of the hematoma, and we did not find any active bleeding or parenchymal laceration. Urinary output had already recovered by the end of surgery without early or late complications. In conclusion, subcapsular hematoma, complicating a traumatic event on a kidney graft, can lead to a progressive parenchymal compression resulting in anuria. So, although in the absence of anemia, such events require urgent surgical decompression. Symptoms cannot be immediate, so all the graft trauma should be investigated with early ultrasound. Little is known in the case of major renal trauma but mildly symptomatic. Probably surgical exploration is better than observation to prevent possible early and late complications such as organ rejection or a Page kidney.

[Surgical overview on kidney and pancreas transplantation]. / Problemi chirurgici nel trapianto di rene e di pancreas - Position paper.

The main purpose of this paper, written by a group of Italian expert transplant surgeons, is to provide clinical support and to help through the decision-making process over pre-transplant surgical procedures in potential kidney recipients, as well as selection of pancreas transplant candidates and perioperative management of kidney recipient. Current topics such as different approaches in minimally invasive donor nephrectomy, methods of graft preservation and treatment of failed allograft were addressed.

Lymphatic disorders after renal transplantation: new insights for an old complication.

In renal transplanted patients, lymphoceles and lymphorrhea are well-known lymphatic complications. Surgical damage of the lymphatics of the graft during the procurement and of the lymphatic around the iliac vessels of the recipients has been associated with development of lymphatic complications. However, lymphatic complications may be related to medical factors such as diabetes, obesity, blood coagulation abnormalities, anticoagulation prophylaxis, high dose of diuretics, delay in graft function and immunosuppressive drugs. Consistently, immunosuppression regimens based on the use of mTOR inhibitors, especially in association with steroids and immediately after transplantation, has been associated with a high risk to develop lymphocele or lymphorrhea. In addition, several studies have demonstrated the association between rejection episodes and lymphatic complications. However, before the discovery of reliable markers of lymphatic vessels, the pathogenic mechanisms underlining the development of lymphatic complications during rejection and the influence of mTOR inhibitors remained not fully understood. The recent findings on the lymphatic systems of either native or transplanted kidneys together with the advances achieved on lymphangiogenesis shared some lights on the pathogenesis of lymphatic complications after renal transplantation. In this review, we describe the surgical and medical causes of lymphatic complications focusing on the rejection and immunosuppressive drugs as causes of lymphatic complications.

Kidney transplant grafts with complete ureteral duplication.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcome of renal transplants using donor grafts with complete ureteral duplication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1999 and 2011, we performed 1368 kidney transplant procedures, including 87 dual kidney transplants. There were 12 transplants with donor kidneys that had complete ureteral duplication, including 2 patients who had grafts with ureteral duplication that were used to perform a dual kidney transplant. In 11 patients with ureteral duplication, the 2 ureters were anastomosed separately to the bladder with a double Lich-Gregoir technique; in 1 patient, a ureteroureteral terminolateral anastomosis and single ureteroneocystostomy were performed. RESULTS: Urinary tract infections were noted during the first year after transplant in 7 patients (58%) that had kidney grafts with duplicated ureters (4 patients with 1 infection each; 3 patients with 2 infections each), but none developed pyelonephritis, functional impairment, or graft loss. There were no other urologic or renal complications observed in recipients of grafts with ureteral duplication. CONCLUSIONS: Donor kidneys with ureteral duplication may be used in renal transplant. The double Lich-Gregoir technique may provide excellent results.

[A 8-year-forgotten ureteral stent after kidney transplantation: treatment and long-term follow-up]. / Stent ureterale dimenticato in sede per 8 anni dal trapianto renale: trattamento e follow-up a distanza.

INTRODUCTION: Forgotten indwelling ureteral stents can cause significant urological complications. Only few cases are reported after kidney transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a case of a 39-year-old woman, transplanted in 1993 and referred to our Transplant Center 8 years later, because of a serious urinary tract infection with renal function impairment. Abdominal CT scan showed pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis in the transplanted kidney and the presence of a calcific ureteral stent, which had been forgotten in situ for 8 years. The stent was removed, but it was impossible to replace it with a new stent both retrogradely and anterogradely, because of a tight obstruction of the mid ureter. So a uretero-ureteral anastomosis with up urinary tract was performed. RESULTS: No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. At 9 years' follow-up, the patient shows an optimal renal function, with no urinary tract infection. DISCUSSION: A forgotten ureteral stent in a transplanted kidney can cause a lot of complications and can lead to graft loss. The prosthesis may cause an irreversible ureteral damage, so, as in our experience, forgetting a ureteral stent can result in a complex surgery.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor treatment for erectile dysfunction in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis or after renal transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: The phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are generally well tolerated and effective for treating erectile dysfunction (ED), including in patients with significant comorbidity. Because of this benign safety profile, investigators have used PDE5 inhibitors to treat patients with ED and severe renal disease or those who have received renal transplants. AIM: To assess safety and efficacy of PDE5 inhibitors in patients receiving dialysis or renal transplants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Erectile function as assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and Global Assessment Questions; adverse events (AEs). METHODS: We reviewed published studies of PDE5 inhibitors in patients receiving dialysis or renal transplants. RESULTS: In double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in patients receiving dialysis or renal transplants, sildenafil significantly improved erectile function as assessed by the IIEF, and 75-85% of patients reported improved erectile function on Global Assessment Questions; efficacy was more variable in less well-controlled studies. In >260 patients undergoing dialysis who received sildenafil in clinical studies, there were only six reported discontinuations because of AEs (headache [N=3], headache and nausea [N=1], gastrointestinal [N=1], and symptomatic blood pressure decrease [N=1]). In approximately 400 patients with renal transplants who received sildenafil, only three patients discontinued because of AEs. Vardenafil improved IIEF scores of up to 82% of renal transplant recipients in randomized, controlled studies (N=59, total), with no reported discontinuations because of AEs. Limited data also suggest benefit with tadalafil. CONCLUSIONS: ED is common in patients undergoing renal dialysis or postrenal transplant and substantially affects patient quality of life. Sildenafil and vardenafil appear to be efficacious and well tolerated in patients receiving renal dialysis or transplant.

Cystogenic potential of CD133+ progenitor cells of human polycystic kidneys.

In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, cysts arise focally and disrupt normal renal tissue leading to renal failure. In the present study, we show that cyst-lining cells express the stem cell marker CD133. CD133+ progenitor cells isolated from polycystic kidney, carrying mutations of PKD genes, showed a dedifferentiated phenotype similar to CD133+ progenitor cells from normal kidney. However, these cells were more proliferative and presented a defective epithelial differentiation phenotype with respect to normal renal CD133+ cells as they were not able to express all tubular epithelial cell markers when cultured in epithelial differentiation medium. Polycystic CD133+ cells, in contrast to normal renal CD133+ cells, formed cysts in vitro in a three-dimensional culture system and in vivo when injected subcutaneously within Matrigel in SCID mice. Rapamycin treatment reduced in vitro proliferation of polycystic CD133+ cells and decreased cystogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro epithelial differentiation was only partially improved by rapamycin. These results indicate that polycystic CD133+ cells retain a dedifferentiated phenotype and the ability to generate cysts.

[Diagnosis and treatment of octogenarian neoplastic patients: bladder cancers]. / La diagnosi e il trattamento del paziente neoplastico ultra-ottantenne. Le neoplasie vescicali.

Age is a risk factor for the occurrence of bladder cancer and bladder cancer is a disease of the elderly. The choice of treatment relays on the staging into non-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Non-invasive bladder cancer is usually treated with transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) followed by intravesical therapy with BCG or chemotherapeutic agents. The gold standard in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer is radical cystectomy. The elderly and, in particular, the octogenarian have a worse tolerance for aggressive therapies, due to the higher incidence of side effects and complications. This problem could significantly occur for intravesical BCG therapy and for radical cystectomy. When the urologist faces the treatment of an octogenarian affected by bladder cancer, he should answer many questions: 1. In case of a non-invasive bladder cancer, is it possible to use the same drugs that we use for younger patients (BCG vs chemotherapeutic agents)? Should the timing and the kind of follow-up be the same? 2. Should the octogenarian affected by muscle-invasive bladder cancer undergo radical cystectomy or a less invasive treatment? What kind of diversion should be preferred? Is it possible to propose an orthotopic neobladder to an octogenarian patient? The choice of the treatment should be made on the basis of a careful evaluation of the patient, considering not only the patient's age but also comorbidities and life expectancy.

Urinalysis: do not forget this type of cell in renal transplantation.

Microscopic sediment analysis of urine from a 56-year-old woman who underwent renal transplantation showed many uncommon clusters of rounded and translucent cells containing globular mucous cytoplasmic inclusions (HPF, x400). These cells were bigger than leukocytes and, compared with uroepithelial cells, showed a smaller nucleus to cytoplasm ratio and appeared eosinophilic, being pink rather than azurophilic with Sternheimer-Malbin stain. They were also unlikely to be tubular cells, which are usually smaller, singly distributed and associated with dysmorphic erythrocytes and/or casts and/or a worsening in renal function. A review of the patient's history showed that a pretransplantation urologic surgical treatment, including ileal bladder reconstruction, had been performed. Intestinal epithelial cells should be remembered when examining urinary sediment.