PURPOSE: To retrospectively review the authors experience with multi-detector row helical computed tomography (CT) in assessing 100 consecutive live potential renal donors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hospital ethical committee approval was obtained; informed paLieril consent was not required. One hundred potential renal donors underwent mulli-deLeclor row CT assessment. Nonenhanced, arterial phase, and nephrographic phase examinations were performed. Delayed topoyrams were acquired to visualize the collecting system anatomy. A vascular radiologist prospec-tively interpreted the multi-detector row CT images. A second vascular radiologist, blinded to the initial results, retrospectively reviewed the images. Eighty candidates subsequently underwent donor nephrectomy, including 70 laparoscopic donor nephrcctomics (LDNs) and 10 open donor ncphrcctomics (ODNs). Surgical findings served as the reference standard for 80 kidneys. I he imaging findings in all 100 candidates (200 kidneys) were reviewed, although these findings were considered observational data only because there was no reference standard for 120 kidneys.
RESULTS: Multi-delector row CT findings predicted uncomplicated LDN in 67 of 70 patients. Small upper-pole capsulnr arteries arising from the disletl main renal artery in two patients were not described in the multi-detector row CT report: In one patient, the arising vessels resulted in conversion to ODN because of bleeding; in the other patient, arterial reconstruction was performed. In another patient, conversion to ODN was necessary because of ongoing bleeding from an avulsed large lumbar venous tributary to the lett renal vein. Observational data revealed that multiple renal arteries most of which were accessory renal arteries�were seen in 52 (26%) kidneys. Early branching of the main renal artery was seen in 24 (12%) kidneys, and main renal arterial abnormalities were identified in six (3%). Capsular arteries were detected in 10 (5%) kidneys. Major variations in the anatomy of the main renal veins�including multiple right renal veins, a retroaortic left renal vein, and a circumaortic left renal vein�were seen in 28 (14%) kidneys. Large (