June 17, 2019
Diagnose This (June 17, 2019)

- Published: June 17, 2019
- By: Nich Cossey
- Tags: allograft, Banff, BK, Inflammation, Kidney transplant, Polyoma, Tubulitis
The image shown comes from a kidney transplant patient with a rise in serum creatinine. What is the most likely diagnosis and what immunohistochemical stain would you want to rule out a less common disease sometimes seen in kidney transplants?
The image shows lymphocytic tubulitis and surrounding lymphocytic inflammation. These findings are most commonly seen in acute T-cell mediated rejection (Banff IA or IB). However, BK/Polyoma virus nephritis can show similar findings and viral cytopathic atypia may not be present making an SV40 immunohistochemical stain useful in excluding this etiology.