[Cadaveric kidney transplantation in patients over 55 years]

The progress of 24 patients aged over 55 who received kidney transplants from dead bodies is compared with that of 42 recipients aged under 55. The functioning of the transplants and mortality do not differ in the two groups 3 and 12 months after transplantation. However, in the group of older transplant patients we found a high incidence of analgesic nephropathies, twice as many associated cardiac complications and an increased incidence of tumours. It seems no longer justifiable to withhold such kidney transplants from patients over 55 on grounds of age.