Hydronephrosis in the early stage of pregnancy after renal transplantation

A 28-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease due to congenital hypoplasia and vesicoureteric reflux in the bilateral kidneys received a renal transplant from her 52-year-old mother. She became pregnant 3 years later. The serum creatinine level was 1.6 mg/dL with a creatinine clearance of 27.3 mL/min/1.48 m(2) just prior to pregnancy. Her graft showed hydronephrosis at 12 weeks of pregnancy. At 25 weeks a double J-type stent catheter was placed, without exposure to radiation, because of progressive deterioration of the graft hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis partially improved, but her serum creatinine level further increased to 2.3 mg/dL. She delivered a healthy boy by routine caesarean section at 34 weeks of pregnancy. Computed tomography demonstrated the ureter wedged between the gravid uterus and the graft. The catheter was removed 10 days postpartum. Six months later, ultrasonographic study did not show hydronephrosis and the serum creatinine level was 2.0 mg/dL.