Related potential donors in renal transplantation: a high risk group for occult renal disease?

Abstract

Forty-seven apparently healthy relatives of patients with end-stage renal disease were assessed as potential renal donors. 8.5 per cent were found to be hypertensive. Thirty per cent of the females and 6.5 per cent of the males had either a history of urinary tract infection or significant bacteriuria on admission and 75 per cent of these patients had an abnormal IVP or renal angiogram. 14.8 per cent of the patients had an abnormal IVP. Renal angiography demonstrated multiple renal vessels in 42.4 per cent of patients and this altered the side of nephrectomy in six of the donors. Two patients were refused nephrectomy on the demonstration of intra-renal micro-aneurysms by renal angiography, the remainder of their assessment being entirely normal. Medical contraindications excluded a total of six patients from donation.