Original contributions: Case reportsKidneyLate Allograft Renal Vein Thrombosis Treated With Anticoagulation Alone: A Case Report

- Late allograft renal vein thrombosis is a rare complication of kidney transplantation.
- Allograft survival after renal vein thrombosis is poor.
- Anticoagulation alone might favor venous re-permeabilization with total allograft recovery.

BackgroundAllograft 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsThe 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.ConclusionsOur patient demonstrated that anticoagulation alone and dialytic support might be able to promote total recovery of allograft function after renal vein thrombosis.