To understand the role of Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the evaluation of vascular complications after renal transplantation. To review and illustrate the imaging findings of each vascular complication.

Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease, promoting longer overall survival compared with peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. With the increasing new classes of immunosuppressive drugs, the incidence of rejection as significantly been reduced and other types of complications have come to the forefront. Complications after renal transplantation can be divided into three different categories: functional, perirenal/excretory system, vascular (table 1). Knowledge of the time spent between the surgical procedure and the DUS evaluation is also important to predict the...

We performed a retrospective review and selected the most illustrative images for each complication. For literature review, we have searched indexed publications using Medline as the scientific repository for current data regarding this area of interest. A)Infarction Infarctions in the renal transplant can be focal or diffuse and may occur as part of rejection or as a result of an associated vascular thrombosis; vasculitis may induce small segmental infarcts. At US, a segmental infarct appears as a hypoechoic area poorly marginated or with a well-defined...

In contrast to medical complications after renal transplantation, in which the role of the radiologist is limited, Doppler US and CTA are of indubitable value in the diagnosis and follow-up of the vascular complications and intervention radiology also plays a role in their treatment. Knowledge of the appearance chronology and of the imaging features on Doppler US and CTA of these complications should be guaranteed by the radiologist.

Raquel Coutinho de Sousa Gaio Radiology resident at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte - Hospital de Santa Maria E-mail: [email protected]

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