Scintigraphic assessment of perivesical urinary extravasation following renal transplantation

Radionuclide scintigraphy is a safe and accurate means of detecting postoperative urologic complications in renal transplant recipients. Early identification of urinary leakage coupled with aggressive intervention significantly reduces the associated morbidity and mortality. Perivesical extravasate may be difficult to distinguish from adjacent or nearby bladder activity on scintiscan. Clarification of actual bladder contour and determination of its exact location within the pelvis may resolve such uncertainties. We describe imaging techniques that define the anatomic extent of the bladder and demonstrate our scintigraphic assessment of perivesical extravasation.