Successful renal transplantation in Wegener's granulomatosis

Two patients with Wegener's granulomatosis, who were in complete remission secondary to cyclophosphamide therapy but who had end-stage renal failure, were treated with renal transplantation. Neither patient has clinical evidence of recurrent glomerulonephritis 10 and 28 months after receiving the renal transplants. Cytotoxic therapy has been proved to be highly effective in inducing and maintaining remission in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis; thus increasingly larger numbers of patients will be seen who, despite being maintained in complete remission, will have markedly impaired renal function due to previous acute damage. Renal transplantation can now be considered an acceptable alternative form of therapy in such patients.