Fatty Kidney in Renal Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Background: Obesity is now recognized as a risk factor for the development of renal dysfunction, with a growing body of evidence supporting the association of higher body mass index and chronic kidney disease. Renal sinus fat may exert influence on hypertension and CV risk through one of several mechanisms. Compression of blood vessels, lymph vessels, and ureters in the renal sinus (sinus lipomatosis) may obstruct the renal outflow tract and increase intrarenal hydrostatic pressure. As a result, kidney size may increase. This observation has been previously shown in animal studies, in which obese rabbits exhibited larger kidneys (30%) with larger fat deposits within the renal sinus. This occurred due to renal lymphatic compression, despite an absence of detectable fat accumulation within the renal parenchyma.