Digital ischaemia in a renal transplant patient.

A renal transplant patient presented with a sudden onset ofpainful left index finger (Figure 1). He had     

Left leg paralysis in a renal transplant patient

The postoperative course of renal transplant patients is often complicated by opportunistic infection. Up to 4% of posttransplant infections are caused by Nocardia species. We present an unusual case of a nocardial spinal cord abscess that caused left leg paralysis.     

Chromoblastomycosis in a renal transplant patient

Chromoblastomycosis is a rare, deep mycosis seen mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. We have encountered a kidney transplant recipient with this subcutaneous mycosis developing as an asymptomatic mass in the right forearm. The lesion recurred after an initial local excision, but it is now apparently cured 10 months after wide surgical excision. The patient had previously been a shepherd. A 29-year-old kidney transplant recipient developed a rare deep chromoblastomycosis infection and was cured by aggressive diagnosis and surgical treatment.     

Emphysematous urinoma in a renal transplant patient

Urinary infection is a common complication after kidney transplantation. In some instances, especially with Escherichia coli infections, there is formation and collection of gas in the parenchyma and collecting system of the kidney, giving rise to the condition of emphysematous pyelonephritis. Such a process could occur in collections of urine (urinoma) secondary to ureteric leak in the transplant kidney. This process has not been described so far. In this report, we describe the first case of an infected urinoma with an interesting radiologic finding, a so-called emphysematous urinoma. © 2001 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.     

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis in a renal transplant patient

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is a rare angiocentric and angiodestructive pulmonary angiitis considered as a variant of the lymphoproliferative disorder group. Patients with organ transplantation are at an increased risk for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders secondary to their immunosuppression. However, lymphomatoid granulomatosis has rarely been described in patients with renal transplantation. It often presents with severe pulmonary signs. We describe a case whose initial presentation was an isolated VIth nerve palsy. We review the radiological and pathological findings and discuss the etiopathogenesis and therapeutic options of this particular lymphoproliferative disorder. With careful and stepwise reduction in her immunosuppression, our patient showed a complete disappearance of her lymphomatoid granulomatosis, and she is clinically well more than 3 years after the diagnosis, with good kidney function.     

Colchicine myoneuropathy in a renal transplant patient

Colchicine is widely employed for the treatment of gout in renal transplant patients where NSAIDs are contra-indicated and allopurinol prophylaxis is often avoided due to concomitant azathioprine immunosuppression. We report here a case of colchicine-induced myoneuropathy in a renal transplant recipient. Our patient had myalgia, muscle weakness, elevated creatine kinase levels, myopathic changes on electromyography and peripheral neuropathy. Withdrawal of colchicine resulted in recovery within 4 weeks. Renal transplant recipients are likely to be at greater risk of colchicine-induced myoneuropathy due to the unique concurrence of risk factors predisposing to toxicity in such patients. These risk factors include the high incidence of gout in this population, widespread use of colchicine as first-line therapy, impaired renal function and concomitant cyclosporin treatment. The diagnosis should be considered in any renal transplant recipient receiving the drug who develops myopathy. Prompt withdrawal of colchicine therapy should result in rapid clinical and biochemical improvement.     

Endothelial dysfunction in renal transplant recipients

Endothelial dysfunction and damage are systemic processes that are recognised to play a central role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Renal failure is associated with impaired endothelium dependent vasodilatation that is partly a consequence of increased circulating levels of asymmetric dimethyl arginine. Endothelial dysfunction persists, although it is improved, after renal transplantation. Statins appear to improve endothelial dysfunction, as does withdrawal of calcineurin inhibitors, although there is no evidence that these strategies improve patient or graft survival. The situation in transplant recipients is complicated by the fact that endothelial dysfunction (within the graft vasculature) may be a separate process contributing to chronic allograft nephropathy and to circulating levels of endothelial cells and their components, thus limiting the utility of circulating markers of endothelial damage in this population.     

Acute renal failure and myalgia in a transplant patient

A 64-yr-old man with kidney transplant for ESRD as a result of diabetic nephropathy presented with acute renal failure, weakness, myalgia, and pigmented urine. His medications included mycophenolate, cyclosporine, prednisone, furosemide, diltiazem, aspirin, simvastatin, an angiotensin receptor blocker, and insulin. A renal biopsy was performed. Pathologic findings and differential diagnosis are discussed, and the literature is reviewed.     

Levofloxacin and rhabdomyolysis in a renal transplant patient.

Rhabdomyolysis can lead to fatal hyperkalaemia, acute renalfailure and compartment syndromes in renal transplant patients.The most common cause for rhabdomyolysis in these patients isa drug interaction between statins and ciclosporin A [1]. Statinsare known to be myotoxic [2], and their serum levels can beelevated with the concomitant use of ciclosporin A, as the metabolismof both drugs is dependent     

Rectal carcinoid tumor in a renal transplant patient

Malignancy represents a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with a long-term surviving graft. Carcinoid tumor is a common primary endocrine tumor in the general population that is rare in transplant recipients. Our present report focused on a 48-year-old man who received immunosuppressive therapy based on cyclosporine and steroids. Twelve years after renal transplantation, he suffered watery diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. Colonoscopy showed a hard, sessile mass at 5 cm from the anal verge; endoscopic ultrasound showed a 13-mm homogenous hypoechoic mass. Upon endoscopic biopsy, the histological examination revealed a carcinoid tumor. Immunosuppresion was reduced and we performed endoscopic mucosal resection of the rectum. His clinical course has been good with no demonstrated recurrence.     

Coronary bypass surgery in a renal transplant patient

Coronary bypass surgery in a patient with functioning renal graft is reported. Surgery was carried out using standard operative techniques providing some precautions for renal graft protection: i.e. adequate mean perfusion pressure, volume replacement, and renal outflow during cardiopulmonary bypass, and appropriate prophylactic antibiotic and immunosuppressive therapy. Postoperative course was uneventful and blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels were comparable to the preoperative levels. Three months after operation the patient was found to be asymptomatic.     

Giant pyogenic granuloma in a renal transplant patient

Pyogenic granuloma is a common benign skin tumor. However, pyogenic granulomas with immunodeficient patients, especially transplant patients, are infrequent. We present a case report of a renal transplant patient with giant pyogenic granuloma. To the best of our knowledge, there are a few reports of pyogenic granuloma in renal transplant patients. This case report explores clinical and treatment elements for pyogenic granulomas as well as a review of the literature.