Hemorrhagic shock due to bleeding from an arteriovenous fistula after allograft biopsy in a kidney transplant recipient: a case report

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) after allograft biopsy occurs in 1.6–8.3% of kidney transplant patients and most cases remain asymptomatic. Here, we report a case of hemorrhagic shock in a kidney transplant recipient following bleeding from an AVF after graft biopsy. Immediate intensive care including angiographic embolization saved the patient and the allograft. A 62-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease caused by diabetic nephropathy underwent ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation. No complications occurred in the early postoperative period. However, serum creatinine levels did not decrease sufficiently and decreased graft diastolic blood flow was noted on ultrasound. Therefore, at 14 days after kidney transplantation, allograft biopsy was performed to elucidate the cause of allograft dysfunction. At 5 days after allograft biopsy, the patient developed hemorrhagic shock caused by bleeding from an AVF in the allograft. We immediately performed angiographic embolization, and her vital signs improved without deterioration in renal function. AVF can cause hemorrhagic shock, and angiographic embolization is effective for treating it.