Comparison of urine cytology versus fine needle aspiration cytology in monitoring renal allograft dysfunction.

In renal allograft monitoring we performed daily urine cytology (UC) (n = 773) and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) (n = 144) two to three times weekly in 29 allograft recipients with 18 acute rejection episodes. UC is more accurate in diagnosis and therapeutic control of acute rejection episodes. In addition UC is better than FNAC in revealing non-rejection causes of graft dysfunction such as interstitial nephritis (pyelonephritis, allergic nephritis), the presence of bacteria, fungi and virus inclusion bearing cells in the sediment and nephrotoxic tubular damage.