PREVALENCE OF DIVERTICULOSIS AND INCIDENCE OF BOWEL PERFORATION AFTERKIDNEY-TRANSPLANTATION IN PATIENTS WITH POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY-DISEASE

Sigmoid perforation due to diverticulitis is a life-threatening compli cation in the postoperative course of allogenic kidney transplantation . The incidence of diverticulosis is especially high among patients wi th autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Thus, those w ho undergo allogenic kidney transplantation represent a high-risk grou p. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of diverticulo sis in ADPKD patients awaiting renal transplantation and the incidence of bowel perforation following allogenic kidney transplantation due t o ADPKD. Within the group of 1128 patients who underwent transplantati on between January 1974 and January 1990, there were 46 patients (4.07 %) whose indication for transplantation was ADPKD. There was one patie nt who developed a sigmoid perforation under postoperative immunosuppr ession. Surgical treatment was a discontinuity resection of the sigmoi d (Hartmann's procedure). The postoperative course was favorable, the bowel continuity has already been restored, and the graft is still fun ctioning well. Fifteen of the 28 (53.5 %) ADPKD patients awaiting tran splantation had colon diverticulosis (12 male and 3 female patients). No case of bowel perforation has thus far been observed in 15 of these patients who have undergone transplantation. A sigmoid resection was necessary in one patient due to diverticulitis without perforation. We did not find a higher prevalence of diverticulosis in patients with A DPKD, nor did we see a higher incidence of sigmoid perforation during post-transplant immunosuppression in this study.