OF PERIRENAL FLUID COLLECTIONS FOLLOWING RENAL TRANSPLANTATION

Renal allografts are ideal organs for study by ultrasonic means because of their superficial position. It is well known that ultrasound can differentiate solid structures from fluid collections, a property which is very useful in the detection of perirenal fluid collection in patients with renal transplants. Examples of lymphoceles, urinomas, hematomas and abscesses are presented and a systematic approach for their differential diagnosis and treatment is discussed. Kidney transplantation has become a standard treatment for patients with irreversible renal failure. (1). The successful outcome of this endeavor depends upon the proper selection and matching of donor and recipient, correct surgical technique, and prompt recognition and treatment of the various postoperative complications. (2). One common complication in the early, as well as late post-transplantation period, is fluid collection in the operative field and/or in the immediate vicinity of the transplanted kidney. Most of these perirenal collections represent postoperative edema or lymph accumulation of little clinical significance and resolve spontaneously after a period of three to five days. The fluid collections that we found to be of clinical significance