Acute colonic complications after kidney transplantation

Over a 30-year period (1963-1993), 12 patients out of 2091 renal allograft recipients (0.5%) were identified for an acute colonic complication. They were 7 males and 5 females with a mean age of 43 years. The mean elapsed time from transplantation to symptoms was 55 months. Peritonitis was diagnosed in all cases, requiring an emergency laparotomy in 6 patients (50%); delayed surgery was possible in 4 patients (33%) after failure of conservative treatment. One patient (9%) was operated electively later on while the last patient died before any surgery from sepsis after diffuse bowel ischaemia. Aetiology included complicated diverticulitis in 9 instances (75%), one colon perforation caused by faecal impaction, one cytomegalovirus colitis and one bowel ischaemia. Another patient died postoperatively after colon resection for perforated diverticulitis. The use of cyclosporine since 1985 did not reduce the incidence of colonic complication. In conclusion aggressive medical support and early surgical exploration are mandatory for renal recipients presenting with an acute colonic complication.