Conversion from cyclosporin to tacrolimus in a patient with prolonged acute tubular necrosis

Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is a common condition of following cadaveric renal transplantation with an incidence in many series of nearly 50%. The aetiology is uncertain; however, it would appear to be related to damage to the transplant kidney either prior to retrieval, During cold preservation or during re-warming of the kidney at the time of anastamotic construction. There is no specific therapy for ATN and treatment is comprised of an expectant policy with supportive dialysis and fluid restriction. Renal function improves in the majority of cases, though there may be delayed function for several weeks. We report a case of dialysis-dependent ATN that had persisted for 5 months following transplantation. Following conversion to tacrolimus there was immediate improvement in renal function, and after a month of tacrolimus therapy the patient was dialysis-independent.