Renal transplant blood flow evaluation by ultrasonic duplex scanning

Abstract

The transplant blood flow was measured renal transplantation by ultrasonic duplex scanner composed of pulsed Doppler flowmeter and real-time B-mode linear scanner in 32 patients. The blood flow information could be obtained from anywhere of interest within the renal transplant. Then blood flow in 3 regions including renal hilum, central echoes and renal parenchyma were measured. The parenchymal peripheral blood flow was not always similar to the hilar central blood flow. Parenchymal blood flow was the most correlated with graft function and decreased remarkably during acute rejection episode. This method enabled detection of occurrence of acute rejection in the course of post-cadaver transplant ATN. Prolongation of delta t (acceleration time) in Doppler spectrogram from parenchyma was also reliable evidence for the deterioration of graft function. Ultrasonic duplex scanning is a useful method in managing post-transplantation patients because intrarenal hemodynamics can be evaluated by this method.