Colonoscopy is a useful diagnostic tool for transplant recipients with lower abdominal symptoms

Transplant recipients are at higher risk for infection and malignancy due to therapies aimed at preventing rejection. Early detection and successful treatment of such complications is of pivotal importance for both patient and graft survival. In this study, we evaluated findings of 91 colonoscopies and colonic histopathologic findings in recipients who presented with lower gastrointestinal system complaints between January 1996 and January 2003. The study group included 79 renal and liver transplant patients. The indications for colonoscopy were diarrhea (n = 58), abdominal pain (n = 5), hematochezia (n = 19), unexplained anemia (n = 5), thickening of a colonic segment detected on computerized tomography (n = 2), screening for lymphoma (n = 1), and Kaposi's sarcoma (n = 1). During the procedures, all suspicious lesions were biopsied and specimens of normal-appearing mucosa collected when deemed necessary in relation to the clinical complaints. The endoscopic findings were classified as follows: 0 = “normal,” with clear visualization of the vascular network and normal-appearing mucosa; 1 = “erythema”, with tissues showing erythema, edema, hyperemia, and loss of normal vascular network; 2 = “ulcerative,” with tissues exhibiting ulceration and fragility; and 3 = “coincidental findings,” such as polyp or angiodysplasia. Colonoscopic and/or histopathologic abnormalities were detected in 44.5% of the 91 colonoscopy procedures. The results indicate that colonoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool for evaluation of transplant recipients with lower gastrointestinal complaints. After an initial workup colonoscopy is important to establish an accurate diagnosis.