Postoperative CT in pancreas transplantation

•The value of CT following simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation was assessed.•313 CT scans were performed on 98 patients between January 2005 and August 2010.•Elevated blood glucose was associated with CT findings of graft vascular anomalities.•CT was particularly useful in directing operative versus non-operative intervention.

AimTo examine the usage and value of computed tomography (CT) following simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplantation.Materials and methodsIndications for postoperative CT, key findings, and their influence on management were determined by retrospective analysis.ResultsNinety-eight patients underwent 313 CT examinations. Common indications for the examinations included suspected intra-abdominal collection (31.1%) and elevated serum amylase/lipase (24.1%). CT findings most frequently showed non-specific mild inflammation (27.6%), a normal scan (17.1%) and fluid collections (16.3%). High capillary blood glucose (CBG) was associated with resultant CT demonstration of graft vascular abnormalities, but otherwise, particular clinical indications were not associated with specific CT findings.ConclusionClinical findings in patients with SPK transplants are non-specific. The pattern of abnormalities encountered is significantly different to those seen in native pancreatic disease and demands a tailored protocol. CT enables accurate depiction of vascular abnormalities and fluid collections, thus reducing the number of surgical interventions that might otherwise be required. Elevated CBG should prompt urgent CT to exclude potentially reversible vascular complications.