Background: Renal graft cortical necrosis (GCN) is a catastrophic cause of graft failure. We evaluated the incidence, causes, management, and outcome of GCN across two decades from our center.
Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of transplant patients who had biopsy-proven GCN transplanted between 2000 and 2020. The clinical details, immunological workup, induction, maintenance regimen, causes of cortical necrosis, and the outcomes were compared between the first period 2000-2012, and the second period 2013-2020, when Flow cytometric and Luminex based crossmatch were included in the workup plan.
Results: Among 2333 live ABO-compatible renal transplants, 37 (0.015%) patients (36 patients between 2000 and 2012 and 1 between 2013 and 2020) developed GCN (60% had diffuse and 40% patchy GCN) at a median of 8 days after transplantation.Twenty-six (60%) received ATG, 4 received plasmapheresis and ATG (10.8%) as antirejection therapy. The cyclosporine-based regimen was associated with a higher risk of GCN (RR 2.54; 95% CI 1.26 to 5.12, p = 0.009), whereas tacrolimus-based therapy had a lower risk (RR 0.39; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.79, p = 0.009). The introduction of flow cytometry and DSA assay has significantly decreased the incidence of acute rejection and GCN. Only one patient had GCN during the 2013-2020 period because of graft's mucormycosis. Twenty-five (67.56%) patients had no recovery, and 12 (32.43%) had partial recovery of graft function.
Conclusion: GCN is mainly associated with rejection, and cyclosporin-based maintenance regimen had a higher incidence. The remarkable decrease in GCN after 2012 onwards could be attributed to the use of Flowcytometry, Luminex-based DSA assays, and tacrolimus-based regimens.
Keywords: Acute rejection; Cortical necrosis; Living donor; Renal allograft.
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