The radiographic size of renal transplants

The lengths of 55 renal transplants outlined by metallic clips were measured on serial abdominal radiographs up to 3 years after operation. The range of normal transplant size was defined as the mean value +/- 2 standard deviations. Using this definition, the maximum increase in length was 5% at 10 days, 10% at 1 month, and 1% additional for each month in the first year. The normal maximum rate of increase in renal length was 0.5% per day, found only in the immediate postoperative period. Sixty per cent of transplants with severe rejection had either an abnormal length or growth rate or both. In chronic rejection and other complications, size and growth were rarely abnormal. An abnormal decrease in renal length was not seen with any complication.