Spontaneous renal allograft rupture complicated by urinary leakage: case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: For more than forty years, graftectomy has been the standard treatment of spontaneous renal transplant rupture. However, recent evidences suggest that graft salvage strategies can be safely pursued, even in difficult cases. CASE PRESENTATION: We report on a thirty-nine-year-old woman who received a deceased donor kidney transplant and experienced spontaneous allograft rupture due to acute rejection. The rupture was further complicated by urinary leakage. The kidney and the ureter were successfully repaired. Eight years after transplantation, graft function is still excellent. CONCLUSION: Due to the lack of transplantable organs and the long time usually spent on the waiting list, graftectomy should be only considered in case of refractory haemodynamic instability or compromised graft viability.