Spontaneous renal allograft rupture without rejection: a case report.

A case of spontaneous renal allograft rupture is described. Typically, this infrequent transplant complication occurred in the early post-transplant period in an oliguric setting with progressive pain, tenderness and swelling at the transplant site associated with hypotension and a decreasing hematocrit. Prompt surgical exploration and repair of the defect in the convex border of the renal allograft controlled hemorrhage and resulted in graft survival, and a normal blood urea nitrogen and creatinine 10 months after transplantation. There have been no rejection episodes and the renal biopsy demonstrated no evidence of rejection or acute tubular necrosis. Ice preservation for 24 hours and changes secondary thereto may have made the kidney susceptible to rupture when the position of acute flexion was assumed.