De novo systemic vasculitis in a renal transplant recipient

Abdominal pain, oligoarthritis, macular skin rash, and urine sediment with more than 100 erythrocytes per high-power field and proteinuria developed in a renal transplant recipient who had no prior history of an underlying connective tissue disease. A polyarteritis-type necrotizing vasculitis was detected in the small bowel mesentery. A search for other etiologic factors revealed none. This case demonstrates that de novo vasculitis can develop in renal transplant recipients despite adequate immunosuppressive regimens and may respond to increased dosages of corticosteroids.