CT angiography versus conventional digital angiography in preoperative assessment for Chinese living kidney donors.
BACKGROUND
Computed tomography (CT) angiography is used for preoperative evaluation of living kidney donors, but its correlation with intraoperative findings during the transplant operation remains unknown.


METHODS
Between April 1997 and October 2008, 34 consecutive pairs of living kidney transplants were carried out. Conventional digital angiography was employed for the preoperative assessment in the first 19 pairs, and CT angiography in the subsequent 15 pairs. The radiological reports and operative findings during kidney harvest were carefully examined and compared.


RESULTS
Among the 34 cases in our cohort, we found 9 early branching renal arteries (26.4%) and 6 double renal arteries (17%). Venous and ureteral anomalies were rare, with only 1 case (2.9%) of each. CT angiography offered excellent and equal accuracy (accuracy 100%) when compared with conventional digital angiography for renal arterial anatomy. CT angiography showed superior performance compared with conventional angiography in the domain of venous and collecting system anomalies (accuracy 100% vs. 94.7%, respectively). No contrast nephropathy or allergy was documented in our series.


CONCLUSIONS
CT angiography showed excellent correlations with surgical findings in the Chinese population. It is associated with minimal risk of contrast nephropathy as well as lower cost and therefore should be adopted as the standard preoperative assessment of living kidney donors.
Yap
Desmond Yat Hin
DY
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
Chu
Ferdinand Siu Kay
FS
Chu
Sai Man
SM
Tam
Po Chor
PC
Tam
Sidney
S
Chan
Tak Mao
TM
Lai
Kar Neng
KN
Tang
Sydney Chi Wai
SC
D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*