Principles regarding CTA and MRA assessment of the vasculature of a transplanted kidney
- • Do not confuse anastomotic narrowing for a true renal arterial stenosis.
- • Perform biphasic image acquisition following intravenous contrast administration if renal artery stenosis and renal vein thrombosis are suspected.
- • Ensure that the plane of injection during MRA covers the renal vasculature. You may need to supervise this personally, given the off-axis plane of the transplanted kidney.
- • Do not forget to assess the iliac arterial inflow for presence of stenoses.
- • Do not forget to look for nonvascular complications such as hematoma, lymphocele, hydronephrosis, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD).
