ABSTRACT
Gastrointestinal complications are frequent in renal transplant recipients and may involve any tract of the gastrointestinal tube (Helderman and Goral, 2002; Ponticelli and Passerini, 2005). Most complications are trivial and are often not referred by the patient to the transplant clinician. Nevertheless, even minor gastrointestinal symptoms may impair the psychological general well-being (Strid et al., 2002). In about 10% of renal transplant patients, severe gastrointestinal disorders may develop, eventually leading to graft loss and even patient death (Sarkio et al., 2004). The most frequent gastrointestinal complications in renal transplant recipients include oral lesions, esophagitis, peptic ulcer, diarrhea, colon hemorrhage, or perforation. These disorders may be related to medications, infections, and/or exacerbation of pre-existing gastrointestinal pathology.
