Sonographic Indices in Patients with Severe Acute Tubular Necrosis during Early Post-Kidney Transplantation Period.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the most effective and optimal treatment for end-stage renal disease. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between serially measured ultrasound indices during the early post-operative period to determine severe acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in kidney allografts. METHODS: In a prospective study, we assessed sonographic renal indices including interlobar arteries peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), power doppler grading (PDG), acceleration time (AT), and renal volume on the 3rd and 9th days after kidney transplantation in 46 adult recipients who had no other significant complications except ATN. Biopsies were performed in patients with prolonged delayed graft function (DGF) to exclude other pathologies, especially acute rejection. RESULTS: 12 (20%) recipients experienced biopsy-proven severe ATN. The differences in the ultrasound indices and their measured discrepancies on the 1st and 2nd examinations between the groups were not statistically significant except for the 1st examined RI (p=0.029) and PI (p=0.04). No patient had PDG of >2. The first RI, with a cut-off value of 0.66, had a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 50% for predicting severe ATN (area under the ROC curve = 0.71). To compensate for the low specificity of this index, we suggest using the first PDG scale of equal to 2 with a specificity of 85.3%. Overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values in established severe ATN throughout early post-operative days for a 3rd day RI >0.66 and PDG = 2, were 38%, 92.5%, 64.1%, and 80.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The RI and the PDG measured on the 3rd day after renal transplantation are useful indices for the diagnosis of established severe ATN in kidney allografts. Furthermore, donor characteristics, post-harvesting organ preservation status, main renal vascular anastomosis, and early post-operative recipient's clinical situations may also influence the incidence of severe ATN. Although the 1st ultrasound examination on the 3rd day in early post-transplantation provides important diagnostic and prognostic information, repeated assessment about one week later provides no more valuable information.

Efficacy of four lining materials in sandwich technique to reduce microleakage in class II composite resin restorations.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of four different sandwich techniques on gingival microleakage of Class II direct composite resin restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty sound human premolars were selected and randomly divided into five groups (n=10). Class II box only cavities were prepared in one of the proximal surfaces of each tooth with a gingival margin located approximately 0.5 mm below the cemento-enamel junction. Group A (control) was restored incrementally with composite resin (Tetric Ceram). Groups B, C, D, and E were restored with the sandwich technique using a compomer (Compoglass F), flowable composite resin (Tetric Flow), self-cure composite resin (Degufill SC), or resin modified glass ionomer (Fuji II LC), respectively. After thermal-load cycling, the specimens were immersed in 0.5% basic fuschin for 24 hours. Dye penetration (10(-1) mm) was detected using a sectioning technique. Data were analyzed with repeated measurements and Duncan test at α=0.05. RESULTS: The least amount of microleakage was detected in the incremental group (1.28 ± 0.98). The sandwich technique using resin modified glass ionomer (7.99 ± 9.57) or compomer (4.36 ± 1.78) resulted in significantly more leakage than did the sandwich technique using flowable (1.50 ± 1.97) or self-cure composite (2.26 ± 1.52). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, none of the four sandwich technique composite resin restorations used in this study could reduce gingival microleakage to a greater degree than the incremental technique.

Comparing Taguchi and anterior Lich-Gregoir ureterovesical reimplantation techniques for kidney transplantation.

Urologic complications are common in renal transplant surgery. Numerous innovations have been developed to circumvent ureterovesical anastomotic failure. In addition to the popular modified Lich-Gregoir technique, we evaluated Taguchi's method which is both quick and easy to perform. One hundred forty four patients were prospectively compared using Taguchi (n = 44) or the modified Lich-Gregoir (n = 100) for anastomotic time, which differed significantly (10.2 minutes for Taguchi, vs. 24.6 minutes to Lich-Gregoir; P < .005). Minor complications, however, were less among Lich-Gregoir patients (P < .02). We concluded to continue using the modified Lich-Gregoir ureteroneocystostomy despite taking longer time to perform.

Spontaneous kidney allograft rupture.

Spontaneous renal allograft rupture is one of the most dangerous complications of kidney transplantation, which can result in graft loss. This condition needs immediate surgical intervention. Conservative management has dismal results. Its prevalence varies from 0.3% to 3%. Rupture occurs in first few weeks after transplantation. Predisposing factors for graft rupture are acute rejection, acute tubular necrosis, and renal vein thrombosis. There are growing reports about successful results of repairing these ruptured kidneys. In this study, we reviewed the medical records of 1682 patients who received kidney allografts from living donors from 1986 through 2003. There were six (0.35%) cases of renal allograft rupture. All were preceded by acute graft rejection. They were treated with antirejection medications. In first three cases, the kidney allografts were removed because the procedure of choice in this situation is graft nephrectomy; but in three next cases we repaired the ruptured grafts with good results in two of them. In conclusion, the procedure of choice for kidney allograft rupture is graft repair.