Computed tomography in surgical complications following renal transplantation

Satisfactory computed tomograms were obtained in 57 of 64 patients with impaired function of renal allograft transplants. Surgical complications such as urinary obstruction or obstruction of arterial inflow, hemorrhage, urinoma, lymphocele, or abscess were found in 21 of 57 patients. Lymphocele was the most frequent. Although best demonstrated following intravenous contrast medium injection, 17 of 21 lesions could be diagnosed on precontrast scans. Noninvasive methods such as precontrast computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound (US) have replaced urography as the primary procedure in the diagnostic workup of these patients. If CT or US are inconclusive with regard to the size of the renal pelvis or if urinoma is suspected, high dose urography should be performed.