Colorectal complications of renal allograft transplantation

The occurrence of perforated sigmoid diverticulitis in a renal transplant recipient stimulated a review of colorectal complications in renal allograft recipients. One hundred twenty-five renal transplantations were performed in 113 patients between January 1968 and December 1975. Six patients (5%) were identified as having colorectal complications and five of these patients died as a direct result. Chart analysis of these 113 transplant recipients identified 55 patients as having undergone colonic evaluation (contrast enema, postmortem examination), with seven of these 55 (13%) found to have diverticulosis and major colonic complications eventually developing in four of these seven. Since the mortality from the complications of colorectal diseases in immunosuppressed patients is so prohibitive, in patients with diverticulosis and a previous history suggestive of diverticulitis, consideration should be given to exclusion from transplantation or elective segmental colectomy prior to transplantation.