Background: Allograft renal vein thrombosis is a rare complication of kidney transplantation. Most cases occur in the first 2 weeks after transplantation, but there are cases described many years after the transplant surgery. Allograft loss is the usual outcome.
Methods: We present a case of a renal transplant recipient with allograft renal vein thrombosis associated with deep venous thrombosis of a lower limb, 9 years after transplantation. He was successfully treated with anticoagulation alone, with recovery of allograft function.
Results: The patient was given unfractioned heparin and elastic compression stockings. Five days later, the patient recovered diuresis and hemodialysis treatment was discontinued. Doppler ultrasound was done and revealed partial re-permeabilization of allograft renal vein, with maximal velocity of 15 cm/s. After 30 months of follow-up, the patient was maintained on oral anticoagulation with warfarin, and no thromboembolic or hemorrhagic events were documented. The patient's serum creatinine was stable, between 1.6 and 1.8 mg/dL.
Conclusions: Our patient demonstrated that anticoagulation alone and dialytic support might be able to promote total recovery of allograft function after renal vein thrombosis.
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