SUCCESSFUL TRANSPLANTATION OF A KIDNEY WITH EARLY MEMBRANOUS NEPHROPATHY

This report describes a patient with end-stage renal disease secondary to long-standing type II diabetes mellitus who received a cadaveric r enal transplant from a 37-year-old woman who died of massive cerebral infarction. An autopsy performed on the donor following organ procurem ent revealed no obvious contraindications to transplantation. A renal biopsy of the donor kidney performed at the time of transplantation, h owever, subsequently showed early membranous nephropathy by electron m icroscopy. There was immediate graft function and the recipient contin ues to have good renal function 3 years post-transplantation.