A case of traumatic renal graft rupture with salvage of renal function

An 18-yr-old man received a kidney graft from a 60-yr-old female cadaver donor on February 8, 1996. Postoperative course was uneventful and his serum creatinine level was stable at about 1.8 mg/dL. On April 30, 1999, he collided with a truck while riding a motor cycle. Macroscopic hematuria was observed and CT showed an extensive retroperitoneal hematoma. Because his anemia and hypotension were becoming worse after transfusion of 9 units of blood, he was operated on as an emergency case. A large rupture reaching the pelvis and calyces was observed in the upper pole of the grafted kidney. There were also numerous shallow lacerations, but the major arteries and veins were not injured. The rupture was closed by suturing the renal parenchyma with the peritoneum, and the other shallow lacerations were closed by suturing the renal capsule. The kidney could be salvaged without requiring hemodialysis. The serum creatinine was maintained at 2.1 mg/dL during follow-up. A review of the literature showed that 6 cases of traumatic renal graft rupture with salvage of the kidney have been reported. Our present case was the seventh, and was the most severe graft rupture reported so far.