[Transplantation of kidneys from children]

During an 11-year period from 1978 to 1988, 720 cadaver kidneys were transplanted at the University Hospital of Zurich. 103 of the kidney grafts were from donors 16 years old or younger. The mean age of these donors was 11 years (range 2 1/3 to 16 years). There were 3 donors under 5 years, where we preserved and transplanted both kidneys en bloc. Only 3 recipients were less than 16 years old. After 1 year, 67 out of 103 recipients had a functioning pediatric graft. In the cyclosporine-treated group, the 1-year graft survival was even 80%, similar to kidney transplants from adult donors. Graft loss was observed in 48 cases. 33 patients rejected the transplant and 10 grafts were lost after recurrence of the primary renal disease. Only 5 grafts had a vascular complication. We conclude that kidneys from pediatric donors can successfully be transplanted into adults.