Acute pancreatitis following renal allotransplantation

Abstract
Since first described by Starzl in 1964 (1), acute pancreatitis following renal homotransplantation has been the subject of sporadic reports and reviews (2–5). The generally reported incidence has been around 2%, with a mortality rate of 50–60%. A recent experience with such a patient caused us to retrospectively analyze our own series of renal transplant recipients. In an eight-year period, there were six patients who had documented pancreatitis out of a total 120 renal homograft recipients, an incidence of 5%. The mortality was distressingly high; five out of the six succumbed directly to this complication, a rate of 83%. The purpose of this paper is to review these six patients in detail, with special attention to the protean etiologies and manifestations of this lethal complication.