Transplantation of a duct-ligated pancreatic allograft to a diabetic patient.

A 52-year-old man with an extremely instable insulin-treated diabetes mellitus, were transplanted with a duct-ligated pancreatic segment from a brain-dead donor. The graft showed immediately a satisfying endocrine function. The blood glucose levels were normalized and no exogenous insulin was administered. After five days a clear fluid with high contents of protein and high concentration of amylase started to drain from the wound. The drainage ceased spontaneously after 30 days. On day 41 after transplantation, the function of the graft suddenly stopped. At exploration, the graft was found thrombotized but with a well preserved architecture, and the oversewn end of the graft was intact. The patient is back on insulin treatment, and he is in the same condition as before the transplantation.