LOIN PAIN-HEMATURIA SYNDROME - HOW EFFECTIVE IS RENAL AUTOTRANSPLANTATION IN ITS TREATMENT

Objectives. To evaluate our experience with renal autotransplantation in the management of loin pain-hematuria (LPH) syndrome after relatively long follow-up (30 to 35 months). Methods. Four patients with LPH syndrome of 3 to 18 years' duration underwent technically successful autotransplantation. All patients preoperatively had normal radiologic investigations, including renal arteriography and biopsy. All required narcotic analgesia for pain control. Patients were followed for 30 to 35 months. Results. All 4 patients were pain and narcotic free for 6 months postoperatively. At 18 months after surgery, 3 of the 4 had recurrence of the pain and at 50 months, 2 required nephrectomy. Only 1 patient of 4 had sustained pain relief at 35 months. Conclusions. Renal autotransplantation certainly offers temporary relief from LPH syndrome, but in our experience this was not durable in the majority of our patients.