False and true aneurysms of the renal artery after kidney transplantation. A report of two cases

Renal transplantation is nowadays an established treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. With increasing experience, the number of surgical complications has decreased steadily over recent years. major cause of graft loss is rejection, while only a minority of the transplants are lost due to surgical complications. The incidence of vascular complications renal transplantation as reported in the literature varies from 3.5 to 14% (Goldman et al, 1975; Palleschi al, 1980; Russo & Marks, 1976; Rijksen et al, 1982; Vidne et al, 1976) and accounts for 1.7 to 4.4% of all transplantectomies (Kiser et al, 1971; Palleschi et al, 1980; Rijksen et al, 1982; Vidne et al, 1976). The predominant vascular complication encountered, varying in the literature from 1–12%, is renal artery stenosis. Much less frequent (0.8–2%) is vascular thrombosis or bleeding from the anastomosis site 0.3%) develop (Doyle et al, 1975; Goldman et al, 1975; Kiser et al, 1971; Lee et al, 1978; Palleschi et al, 1980; Russo & Marks, 1976; Rijksen et al, 1982; Vidne et al, 1976). Pseudoaneurysm formation at the site of the anastomosis is a rare complication and only a few cases been reported (Burgener & Schabel, 1978; Goldman et al, 1975; Renigers & Spigos, 1978; Woodruff et al, 1969). The development of a true aneurysm of the renal transplant artery has not previously, to our knowledge, been reported in the literature.