Gastrointestinal complications following renal transplantation.

Gastrointestinal complications developed in 29 (6%) of 510 patients following renal transplantation. Thirteen patients (45%) died as a result. Gastrointestinal bleeding, usually considered the commonest complication, was seen in only 7 cases. Other complications included pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia, massive ileus, fistulas with abscesses, bowel infarction, peptic ulcers without bleeding, obstruction, gangrenous cholecystitis, esophagitis, spontaneous perforation of the sigmoid colon, and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis. Six patients had no clinical or laboratory findings suggesting the underlying gastrointestinal complication; it was the radiographic findings that called attention to the acute problem.