Assessment of 100 live potential renal donors for laparoscopic nephrectomy with multi-detector row helical CT

To retrospectively review the authors' experience with multi-detector row helical computed tomography (CT) in assessing 100 consecutive live potential renal donors.

Hospital ethical committee approval was obtained; informed patient consent was not required. One hundred potential renal donors underwent multi-detector row CT assessment. Nonenhanced, arterial phase, and nephrographic phase examinations were performed. Delayed topograms were acquired to visualize the collecting system anatomy. A vascular radiologist prospectively interpreted the multi-detector row CT images. A second vascular radiologist, blinded to the initial results, retrospectively reviewed the images. Eighty candidates subsequently underwent donor nephrectomy, including 70 laparoscopic donor nephrectomies (LDNs) and 10 open donor nephrectomies (ODNs). Surgical findings served as the reference standard for 80 kidneys. The imaging findings in all 100 candidates (200 kidneys) were reviewed, although these findings were considered observational data only because there was no reference standard for 120 kidneys.

Multi-detector row CT findings predicted uncomplicated LDN in 67 of 70 patients. Small upper-pole capsular arteries arising from the distal main renal artery in two patients were not described in the multi-detector row CT report: In one patient, the arising vessels resulted in conversion to ODN because of bleeding; in the other patient, arterial reconstruction was performed. In another patient, conversion to ODN was necessary because of ongoing bleeding from an avulsed large lumbar venous tributary to the left renal vein. Observational data revealed that multiple renal arteries--most of which were accessory renal arteries--were seen in 52 (26%) kidneys. Early branching of the main renal artery was seen in 24 (12%) kidneys, and main renal arterial abnormalities were identified in six (3%). Capsular arteries were detected in 10 (5%) kidneys. Major variations in the anatomy of the main renal veins--including multiple right renal veins, a retroaortic left renal vein, and a circumaortic left renal vein--were seen in 28 (14%) kidneys. Large (>5 mm in diameter) systemic tributaries to the left renal vein were seen in 25 (25%) kidneys. There was no significant interobserver disagreement between the vascular radiologists.

Multi-detector row CT findings can predict successful LDN in live potential renal donors.