Renal transplant vein stenosis: demonstration and percutaneous venoplasty of a new vascular complication in the transplant kidney.

Stenosis of the renal transplant vein has been demonstrated in eight patients undergoing investigation for renal dysfunction arising 3 weeks to 3 years after transplantation. The stenoses were diagnosed by duplex Doppler ultrasound in three cases and by angiography in the presence of arterio-venous fistula in five cases. In four patients percutaneous venous dilatation was performed with technical success in three. In two patients this was repeated for recurrent stenosis but sustained improvement in renal function was not observed. Progression of the venous stenoses was documented with one patient suffering graft loss due to complete venous occlusion.