Complex, Crusty Calculi: A Case Study Report of Renal Transplant Lithiasis and Encrustation

Ureteric encrustation and lithiasis after renal transplantation are rare but not without risk of obstruction and graft loss. Patients are usually asymptomatic, and a majority present with graft dysfunction with imaging demonstrating hydronephrosis and rarely with acute graft pyelonephritis. We compare a case of transplant lithiasis with encrusted pyelitis and highlight key differences in their presentation and workup. A key focus for transplant physicians is to recognize when dealing with transplant hydronephrosis that the presence of a high urine pH and pyuria should be a key indicator to suspect ureteric encrustation to look for a urease-producing organism, recognizing that such organisms require prolonged incubation with urine culturing for up to 72 h.