Neurological disorders in renal transplant recipients

The charts of 175 renal transplant recipients were retrospectively reviewed. The mean duration of follow up since the transplantation was 4.17 +/- 1.66 years. Apart from cyclosporin induced tremor, which occurred almost in all patients, 22 patients (12.5%) had neurological disorders during their follow up (mean annual incidence of 3%). Eight patients had epileptic seizures, seven had strokes, four had neurological infections, two developed a pseudotumor cerebri syndrome, two neuropathies, one myopathy and one conus medullaris infarction. This study demonstrates that neurological disorders are not uncommon in renal transplant recipients and that their mechanisms are variable and may be related to the underlying diseases such as hypertension and diabetes; to the operation itself; to the side effects of immunosuppression agents or rarely, they can accompany graft rejection.