COMBINED HEART AND KIDNEY-TRANSPLANTATION IN A CHILD - WILL WE NEED IT MORE IN THE FUTURE

A 12-year-old girl affected by idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and r enal failure was referred to our institution for cardiac transplantati on. A simultaneous heart-kidney transplantation from the same donor wa s decided, The immunosuppression schedule consisted of azathioprine, a ntithymocyte globulin, steroids, and cyclosporine. At a follow-up visi t at 24 months after transplantation, no episodes of heart or kidney r ejection had occurred and cardiac and renal function were good, Concom itant failure of heart and kidney is well known in the literature, but it appears to be more frequent in adult as compared with the pediatri c population. This is the first case of combined heart and kidney tran splantation in a child. Because of the successful outcome and good fol low-up, the number of combined organ transplantations will most likely increase in the future.