Clinical diagnosis and treatment of intestinal complications after renal transplantation

Objective To investigate the etiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of intestinal complications after renal transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 47 patients presenting with intestinal complications following renal transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. The etiology, clinical characteristics and treatment experience of intestinal complications were summarized. Results Forty-seven patients with intestinal complications after renal transplantation were followed up for 3-36 months with the median time of 18 months. Intestinal complications included the upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 4 cases, the lower gastrointestinal bleeding in 1 case, acute enteritis in 25 cases, chronic enteritis in 12 cases, intestinal tuberculosis in 1 case, colon cancer in 1 case, and intestinal obstruction in 3 cases, respectively. Among patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, the symptoms occurred after the use of high-dose adrenal cortex hormone in 4 cases and 2 patients developed hemorrhagic shock. In patients with acute enteritis, 7 cases received immunosuppressants for the first time during the perioperative period of renal transplantation, the remaining 18 patients had dirty diet or catched cold and 4 were positive for pathogens. Among patients with chronic enteritis, plasma concentrations of mycophenolic acid or tacrolimus were elevated in 12 patients, water, electrolyte, and acid-base imbalance was detected, 2 were positive for pathogens, and 8 were accompanied with severe anemia. One case of intestinal obstruction occurred during the perioperative period of renal transplantation, and 2 cases experienced toxic shock. According to the type and severity of disease, symptomatic and etiological treatments were actively implemented. In the 47 patients, 45 were cured and 2 died from the lower gastrointestinal bleeding and respiratory failure caused by lung metastasis of colon cancer. Three patients suffered from transplanted renal insufficiency. Conclusions The intestinal complications after renal transplantation are diverse, which are correlated with the imbalance of intestinal homeostasis. Both the acute and chronic diseases can cause various degrees of damage to the function of transplanted kidneys. Clinical prognosis is poor at the presence of severe complications. Active prevention and management should be implemented to reduce the risk of postoperative complications and enhance the cure rate.