Late caliceal fistula after kidney transplantation.

Caliceal fistula is a rare urological complication that can occur usually shortly after kidney transplantation (KTx). The occlusion of the renal accessory artery with subsequent necrosis of the kidney pole is the most common cause of the fistula development. We report a case of a 57-year-old man with reconstruction of two accessory renal arteries by anastomosis to the side of the main artery during graft placement complicated by late caliceal fistula, managed surgically. Directly after KTx good kidney graft function (serum creatinine concentration 151 micromol/L) was observed. The patient noticed protuberance and pain in the kidney graft area 5 months later. Diagnostic imaging revealed moderate urostasis and liquid collection in the region of the lower graft pole. Administration of a contrast medium through the inserted drain visualized a fistula of a lower renal calyx and ureteric stenosis. Percutaneous drainage was applied with subsequent stop of diuresis through the urethral catheter. During the surgery, the resection of a lower kidney graft pole necrosis was performed, with the closure of caliceal fistula. Simultaneously double pigtail ureteric stent was inserted. After the next two months the pigtail catheter was removed, and neither urostasis in the kidney graft nor liquid collection in the perigraft area were observed. The exceptionality of the case is the late caliceal fistula occurrence. We may only speculate, why it happened 5 months after KTx. The thrombosis of stenosed accessory artery is the most probable cause.